


Seize this Day

by LadyKatAstrid



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Olaf and Sven the dogs, Updating tags as new characters show, a little bit of hurt/comfort, but they have to realise that first, it's fluff and not really slow burn, just two dumbass lesbians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 67,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23284939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKatAstrid/pseuds/LadyKatAstrid
Summary: After months of buying flowers from a pretty girl, Elsa finally gets the chance to do something about it. But when Elsa agrees to train a dog with another pretty lady, Anna jumps on the ocassion and tries to help her sister get one of these women.Honey or Maren, who will she choose?(But... Anna, they are the same person)
Relationships: Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney), Minor Anna/Kristoff - Relationship
Comments: 282
Kudos: 301





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *Taps mic* Is anyone here?
> 
> In case there is, I hope you're safe with the virus going around. Take this as a "please stay home if you can, and if you can't, please be careful".
> 
> Thank you so much to my lovely beta-reader [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen), without whom this fanfic would not be as readable as it is.
> 
> Weekly updates, I have like 10 chapters done but they need some polishing. Expect more or less 3k words in each update.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and enjoy!

A sigh escaped Elsa’s lips as her bedside alarm came to life. Shutting it down, she removed the covers and padded barefoot through her apartment to the kitchen, where she turned on the coffee machine.

While that took its time, she started her morning routine of opening up the curtains and letting the sun come in. Although it looked like the sun wasn’t awake just yet, Elsa knew its rays would illuminate all the rooms by the time she was done in the bathroom.

After a warm shower, she dressed in some light blue yoga pants and a loose white shirt and walked back with damp feet to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Taking it to the table near the window, she enjoyed her meal while watching the streets and those early risers who were either running for sport or starting their daily commute.

Ah. There she was.

Elsa watched a brown pick-up truck park on her street, and a brown-haired young woman exited it. Well, she couldn’t exactly see her hair because she had a beanie on and was far away, but she knew who the woman was. Kinda.

Elsa sipped her coffee while she watched the woman lock the car and fish some keys from her pocket to open up a shop on the same side of the street where she had parked. That shop’s window was directly on Elsa’s view, so the blonde woman could see the other one when she passed in front of it.

The woman started preparing everything to open the shop in a few minutes, turning the lights on and checking on this and that. Elsa made the most out of the few times she could see her before she had to dress to go to work.

Before the clock on her phone had to warn her that she was going to be late, Elsa put breakfast away and changed into some slim black trousers and a white dress shirt. Putting on her make-up, she slipped on some black heels, took her handbag and blue overcoat and shrugged it on, making sure she closed the door when she left.

Going into the streets, she turned left, the direction of the shop. The bell above the door chimed when she entered and the woman looked up from the register.

“My favourite customer! Come in” She said with a smile. The woman had dark skin and her hair was now free of her beanie and put together in a single braid, similar to Elsa’s, and a short fringe that fell just above her eyebrows. Her eyes were hazel, but with the right light, Elsa knew they could look golden while, in the shade, her eyes turned to a dark honey.

The flower shop smelled wonderfully, all the different flowers were organised in a way that none of them overpowered the others, and no two different spots smelled the same.

Elsa smiled gently at Honeymaren, although the woman had told her to call her just Maren, and walked up to her.

“I’m just finishing up the last touches of your order, and I’ll give it to you.” Honeymaren turned to pick up something from the table behind her and Elsa took that time to observe the bouquet.

They were… flowers. Beautiful flowers indeed, but she knew little of them, only that Honeymaren’s were the most beautiful she had ever seen. “What is their meaning today?” She asked.

Honeymaren cut the stem of the newest flower and put it with the others, arranging them. “Well, we have something simple for today, just an assortment of yellow roses with some foliage and ivy to give it a much fuller look and a single white tulip, as requested.” Honeymaren turned the finished product towards Elsa.

It was indeed a thing of ravishing beauty, all the flowers together in a rectangular green glass vase adorned with a bow.

“It’s…” Elsa was speechless. “Words cannot convey how beautiful these flowers are, as usual.”

Honeymaren smirked, but there was a slight blush on her cheeks. “You just know how to say the right words. Thank you.”

“No, I should be the thanking you, my sister will be enamoured by them and will probably show them to the whole office. Again.”

“As long as that doesn’t get her fired I’m happy.”

“She is the boss, so I doubt it. She’ll spend all day looking at them, and it will be up to me to do today’s work. At least that will give me brownie points for being the best sister ever.”

“Aren’t you her only sister?” Honeymaren asked as she wrapped the bouquet carefully.

“Exactly”. Elsa smiled, but her smile faltered as she remembered the times when her sister and her weren’t that close. And that was why the white tulip was there, to apologise for it.

“Then that has to give me points for arranging them somehow, even if it’s just by proximity.” Honeymaren teased.

“You might just be on top of me.” The words left Elsa’s mouth before she could stop them, and when the meaning dawned on both of them, Elsa had to look the other way so that Honeymaren couldn’t see her face become red.

Honeymaren cleared her throat. “Well, thank you so much for your purchase. I’ve already started brainstorming next week’s order.” She tried to make her voice sound professional, but it came out a little tight.

Elsa took out her card from her wallet and paid for the bouquet. “Thank you so much for making them.” She met Honeymaren’s eyes, she could still see the faint blush on her cheeks. “And yes, I will see you next week. For the flowers. Yes.” Elsa picked up the bouquet and turned sharply on her feet, leaving the shop fast but not too fast, so it didn’t look like she was running away.

Once she was in her car, she shut the door, put down carefully the bouquet, and groaned while she hid her face in her hands. Why did she say that?! Now Honeymaren would think that she was a pervert and would probably want nothing to do with her. She hit her forehead softly on the wheel until her phone tinged from somewhere in her handbag.

She picked up the call. “Yes, Anna, I know, I’m coming. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. I promise. I know. Yes. I love you too.” She hanged up and started her sleek silver Audi.

****

She arrived a little later than promised but still on time, traffic to the city centre slow as ever. She parked on her reserved spot, next to Anna’s car and took the garage’s elevator to their floor.

No one paid much attention as she walked through the corridors to the main office, Anna’s, and not too long ago hers too. She smiled and nodded towards Anna’s secretary, Kai, and knocking softly on the door, she opened it and let herself in.

Her sister was with her back at her looking through the glass wall and talking on the phone excitedly with someone. She approached her slowly, not to interrupt, and Anna smiled at her when she turned around.

Elsa left the bouquet, still wrapped, in front of Anna and her eyes shone with anticipation and thrill. She probably ended the call earlier than she should have, but Elsa smiled when Anna ushered whoever was on the other side to pick this up somewhere in the next few days.

“I am so excited to open this up, but first I gotta tell you that you’re late and you owe me something.” Her sister started.

“Can’t this be my apology-for-getting-in-late present? And I am not late.”

“Nope, no way, this is our Monday tradition that you started, so that doesn’t count. Now, can I open it?”

Elsa nodded and Anna giggled while carefully extracting the paper it was covered with. Anna let out a shocked gasp and spent several seconds just taking the whole bouquet in. “You really ought to tell me who this florist is.” She almost whispered. “It looks like a technically simple design, but it’s so amazingly put together that it looks really complex.”

“I won’t. And it does.”

“I can’t wait to show it to everyone!” She got up from her chair and, taking the bouquet with her, she walked to the door. “I can’t wait to show it to Kristoff!”

Elsa shook her head fondly at the retreating figure of her sister and stood up. Just like Anna to jump from one thing to another, hopefully, she had already forgotten about Elsa owing her anything. She had taken more than twenty minutes to get there, but she didn’t officially start working for another ten minutes. What was surprising was Anna being there before Elsa, her sister didn’t really like getting up early.

Going to her own office, she greeted her secretary, Oaken, and closed the office door behind her. Her work for today was already on her desk, waiting for her, so she took off her overcoat and hung it along with her handbag on the hook on the corner and sat down on her desk.

Stepping down as the CEO of Arendelle Inc. had not been an easy decision, but, in a way, it had been. After the passing of their parents, Elsa had been named CEO of the company at the age of just eighteen; she had to balance being the face of such a big company, and her own studies and that brought anxiety, loneliness, emotional instability, and depression. For the most part, she had ignored Anna, an easy thing because they hadn’t had the best sisterly bond since the incident when they were children, even though her sister had tried to mend their relationship since their parent’s death, and done her duty, which was to not let their family’s company fall into the wrong hands and for it to thrive, but after three years of that, another incident caused a change in both sisters.

The resolution of that incident brought the sisters together after years and years of growing apart, and they found a way to bond; Anna officially joined the company as the COO, sharing duties with Elsa, as they slowly built up a friendship that had been damaged for far too long.

But in the months after Elsa had publicly came out as a lesbian, the board had been subtly informing her that they would prefer to have a married person, or at least someone on a stable relationship, as the face of the company to give off the impression of a secure company investors could put their trust in. For the most part, they weren’t really as homophobic as they had been, subtly, of course, suggesting women she could date or outright offering women from their own families. They wanted her as the CEO, but they wanted her on a relationship.

Added that to the pressure she already felt, Elsa had drawn a line and talked to Anna about exchanging their roles in the company; Anna would be the new CEO while Elsa took Anna’s COO position and helped her sister situate herself. It also helped that Anna had a longtime boyfriend she had met while both of them were at university.

So now Elsa lived a less stressful life with fewer responsibilities and had time to do what she loved while also maintaining a healthy lifestyle, thanks, in part, to her therapist.

She knew she had at least a couple of hours to do her work uninterrupted, so she set to do that. Playing some soft classical music as background noise, she took the top paper on the pile to her right and started reading the proposal.

Indeed, three hours later, the door to her office opened with a timid warning knock. She didn’t raise her eyes from the paper she was reading, knowing it was just Anna on the door.

But the excitable voice of her sister never came, and she felt something rub against her leg. Rolling backwards on her chair, she looked down and saw Olaf’s happy face looking up at her.

“Hey, buddy! What are you doing here?” She scooped up the dog and was rewarded with a lick to her nose. Olaf was a white corgi with an orange nose tip and ears too big for his tiny frame.

A voice made her look up. “He wanted to surprise his Auntie,” Kristoff said from the door.

Elsa put the dog down and got up from her chair to greet her sister’s boyfriend with a smile. “It’s so good to see you,” she said hugging him. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m meeting Anna for lunch, she said she’s found a place with real krumkake and not those things they sell on 3rd street.”

“Oh, yes, she’s complained to me about those too, I really hope this place sells the ones she’s been craving, or we’ll be hearing that ‘till March.”

“I’ve been searching for other places to go to if this one doesn’t pan out.” He scratched the back of this neck in a nervous gesture. “I was also… thinking I could make them? I know they won’t be as good as the ones you used to eat when you were children but…”

Elsa put a hand on his forearm to calm him down. “I’m sure she’ll love them, and if not, at least she’ll love the gesture.”

“Thanks, Elsa. You have any plans for lunch? You can always join us, you know.”

Elsa smiled gently. She adored how thoughtful Kristoff was, but she didn’t want to be the third wheel. “I was just about to order something to be delivered here, but thank you.”

Kristoff also smiled. “I know you weren’t, but I’m glad I reminded you to do that.”

“Yes, yes,” she ushered him outside, taking Olaf in her arms. The dog burrowed on her neck and she gave him a kiss on his forehead. “Now, I know this little buddy here is a sweetheart, but where is your son, Kristoff?”

Both of them walked towards Anna’s office in the hopes of she being there and not roaming the office floors exhibiting her new bouquet. Kristoff had gone to Elsa’s first because there was no way that Anna was leaving Kristoff’s side whenever he showed up in the building.

Kristoff let out a huge sigh. “I had to take him to the vet this morning, somehow he and Olaf got into the box of treats and he ate too many of them, so they’re keeping him under observation. Olaf, for the most part, just cheered him on, he didn’t eat that many.”

“Oh, no, poor boy. Will he be alright?”

“Yeah, they said it was just as a precaution. Sven actually told me that, and I quote: ‘the treats were getting stale, and I didn’t want them to go to waste, Kristoff’”. He did an impression of the other dog in a silly voice, as he usually did. “Although you probably shouldn’t give him any treats when they go stay with you this weekend.” 

“That’s what he gets for being naughty, then. Tell him that I am a little disappointed with him, but that I still love him very much and that I will give him all the cuddles he asks for.”

Kristoff groaned good-naturedly. “You are going to spoil him rotten and then, he’ll be all like: ‘Auntie Elsa is the only one who truly understands me and gives me treats’. He is such a baby sometimes…”

They arrived at the CEO’s door, and Kristoff let Elsa knock. After they were given the okay to enter, Elsa opened the door but let Kristoff walk through it first and then Olaf.

Anna saw them and squealed, jumping out of her chair. Both boys went to her, Olaf waving his tail like crazy and Kristoff with a fond look in his eyes, and they embraced each other.

Elsa smiled from her place near the door and put her arms around herself. Kristoff and Anna were so cute together, and anyone could see how much love they had for each other, but sometimes, that made Elsa a little jealous of what they had. 

“Hey, what are you doing there?” Anna asked Elsa from her embrace. She waved an arm at her. “Come on, get in here.”

Rolling her eyes at her sister’s antics, she picked up Olaf from where he was looking at the pair, and the four of them shared a hug. Not a hundred per cent comfortable with the continuous touch of others, she was the first to let go from it when it got too close to the time where it would’ve been an awkward hug.

“I hope you guys enjoy your lunch.” She said as she let Olaf down taking her sister’s hands in hers. “And I’ll see you when you get back.”

Anna groaned and gripped her sister tighter. “Are you going to eat in your office again? Come on, I’ll treat you to lunch.”

Elsa shook her head. “It’s alright, I’ve already placed my order, and I don’t want to intrude in your and Kristoff’s time together.”

“Okay, but tomorrow. You and I. No work talk. Only sisters lunch. Okay?”

Elsa nodded and left the pair behind as she walked up to Oaken to ask him to call the place near there with her usual order. Oaken smiled and tapped his fingertips together, telling her he had already done it.

She laid down on the couch in her office, waiting for the food to arrive, her eyes roamed the space to end up lying on the single white flower on a crystal vase. Unfortunately, Elsa had not managed to keep Honeymaren’s flower alive. She wanted to buy another one from her, but after this morning she was way too embarrassed to face the woman anytime soon. Maybe she could buy another one when she went next Monday.

Elsa sighed and covered her eyes with her arm. Almost a year and a half of pinning from afar when she first moved to that apartment, followed by seven more months of buying flowers from the pretty girl every Monday when she was brave enough to go into her shop, slowly building something more than a professional relationship, but not enough to be considered friendship, and she had probably ruined every chance for it to become that with just eight words. She groaned.

A knock on her door woke her up from her pity party, and she let Oaken in. He left the food on the white coffee table in front of the couch while Elsa sat properly and thanked him. He hummed and left the young woman to herself.

After a quick lunch, she put the garbage away and washed her hands and teeth in the small adjacent bathroom just outside her door. Oaken was not there, probably gone on his lunch break.

If she started with her work now, that would give her plenty of time to arrive home at a reasonable hour.

****

“So,” Anna started opening Elsa’s door without knocking. “The place we went to was so cute, and the food was all made with organic ingredients, or at least that’s what it said on the menu, but you know, people can lie and such.” She threw herself in one of the chairs in front of Elsa’s desk and put her feet on the other. Elsa hummed but continued typing on the keyboard. “And we were mostly alone even though, you know, it was lunchtime, so it turned out to be pretty romantic because we didn’t have to shout our words to be heard above the noise. Their krumkake was really good too, but not as good as Cook’s was when we were children, but definitely better than in the place on 3rd street.” She huffed.

Elsa stopped what she was doing and smiled at her sister. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves even for a little bit. Was Kristoff called into work?” Her sister was earlier than she usually was when she went out with her boyfriend.

“Yeah…”, she sighed. “But he really loved the flowers you got me. I think he’s gonna ask you where you buy them from because he had this look when he was looking at them.”

“I am not going to reveal my sources to him.”

“Well, of course you’re not! You would tell me first because I’ve been asking you for months for it and you’ve said nothing.”

“I won’t tell you either, I’d like to keep it a secret.”

“Hey! We said no more secrets.” Anna reminded her with a tut.

“I… this is not… It’s not that kind of a secret, I want to surprise you with them! Is this one of those secrets? Should I tell you where they’re from?” Elsa was starting to get a little anxious, she didn’t think not telling her would hurt her, but if it did…

Anna raised her hands to calm her sister down. “Whoa, hey, easy. It is not a secret, I was just teasing you.” She had a worried expression, Elsa let out the breath she had been holding.

“I’m sorry…” She started.

“You have nothing to apologise for. The flowers are beautiful, Elsa, and I enjoy it whenever you bring them to me. You don’t have to tell me the place you buy them from, only when Kristoff and I get married because I want to hire them, deal?”

Elsa smiled at her sister. “Deal.”

“I’ll leave you to your work now,” Anna said, getting up. “’Sides, I should be doing mine now too.” She mumbled that part to herself even if Elsa did hear her. Elsa smiled. “Good thing I’m the boss now and no one can tell me what to do!”

“I have the authority to tell you what to do, Anna, and so does the board if you push them too far.” She raised her eyebrows at that last part, knowing the board had tried to set her up with someone, again, not too long ago.

Anna winced. “Let’s not give them a reason to breathe down my neck then. I’ll leave you to it, sis.” She closed the door after her with a little too much energy.

Elsa stared for a few seconds at the closed door thinking about what an amazing job her sister was doing after only four months of being at the helm of it. If she recalled her time as CEO, in those first months she was a wreck, with little time and too many things to do, barely relegating anything for fear of looking weak.

She was grateful her sister was not following her example and that she usually took the weekends off to go on an adventure with Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf, or romantic getaways as she was going to do this weekend. That meant that yeah, she’d be housing her nephews.

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly, and Elsa left the office at a reasonable time after saying goodbye from the door to her sister, who was stuck in a conference call with someone.

She arrived at her apartment and greeted the doorman of the building. He was a big, burly man, and Elsa had hired him after her sister had expressed her concerns about the security of the building. Elsa had told her she wasn’t living in a problematic neighbourhood, but she indulged her nonetheless. She also took care of the changes needed for the building to have a doorman, it was not like money was an issue for her. He had few words and a permanent snarl on his face, but both sisters knew he was a softy on the inside and that’s why they sometimes affectionately called him “Marshmallow”.

She changed into comfy blue and white clothes and put a kettle on to enjoy a warm cup of tea by the window. It was quiet at her house, as it always was, and Elsa sighed.

Her apartment looked cold and barely personal even though she did have photos of her family around. White walls or very light blue ones went well with the spartan decoration she had around: a white couch with a heavy blue blanket, a fluffy grey carpet, and blue-black hues for the furniture around.

Even her wardrobe had a similar colour-scheme, although she had magenta and purple garments, most of them were blue-hued or black or white.

And she was happy, her previous apartment had had a similar arrangement, but when she left it to Anna to move into this one, her sister transformed the place and it became much warmer, much more appealing to live in than it had been when she owned it. It also helped that Olaf was there to make it lively, and even though Kristoff wasn’t officially living there, he had enough things over to give it his own personal touch. They even had a bed for Sven, so it was just a matter of time before he moved in.

And Elsa was happy.

She just felt like something was missing from her life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments and kudos!  
> And thank you again to my wonderful beta-reader [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) for being ever so patient with my writing.
> 
> Here you have the second chapter, and remember: stay safe, stay home (if you can), and stay hydrated. Enjoy!

Elsa woke up warmer than usual. She tried to move, but two bodies prevented her from doing so. Opening her eyes, she saw Olaf’s white fur, so the warmth at her back had to be Sven.

Anna and Kristoff brought them when they all had dinner at Elsa’s on Friday and played games after that. The pair had left early because they had to get up early if they wanted to stay as much as they wanted to in Kristoff’s cabin in the mountains, and Elsa watched a film with her nephews before going to bed. She knew she shouldn’t, but she let them both join her in her couch and bed. They were warm and cosy, and she couldn’t say no to the power of their puppy eyes combined.

As she usually did when Anna and Kristoff left the city without taking the dogs with them, Elsa also took the day off so she could focus on her visitors. She woke her two companions up, but had to bribe Sven with a long walk and one of his favourite treats, carrots. She had warned him there were no doggie treats because of what he’d done last weekend and he grumbled, but he loooved his carrots.

Morning routine completed, she looked at the clock in the kitchen, it wasn’t even ten in the morning, the perfect time to walk her two nephews to the dog park near her house. She put on some black leggings and a warm white hoodie with blue snowflakes and tied her hair on a loose braid over her left shoulder, the usual strand at the front escaping its cage. Forgoing her usual make-up routine, she put on some touches here and there, took Sven and Olaf’s leashes and went out.

They were a sight to see. On the one hand, Sven was a brown St Bernard that looked more like a bear than a dog coming up to Elsa’s stomach and, on the other hand, they had Olaf, a corgi that barely reached her shins. At least he always had a smile on his face.

The park was a ten-minute walk from her apartment, so they took their time going there, letting Olaf sniff all the flowers he encountered, he really loved them.

Elsa could see some people giving her incredulous looks, some because of the two dogs at her sides and some because it was almost November and she wasn’t wearing a coat, but she ignored them and continued towards the park nudging Olaf ahead.

When they were inside, she let both of them run free in the safe zone, Olaf ran after Sven with his tiny legs moving at a fast pace trying to catch up. He wasn’t going to.

Elsa smiled, put her hands inside the hoodie’s pockets and people-watched. There were families with their pets playing fetch. There were dogs chasing other dogs and dogs doing their business. All in all, it could be said that there were a lot of people, probably enjoying the last of the good weather before it started to rain.

A person in particular caught her eye. They had their back to her and were crouched down explaining a position to a puppy. They got up and the puppy got on its feet too, waving its tail happily. The person gave an order, but the puppy just stood there, waiting. The person crouched and corrected the puppy’s stance. They both stood up again, the person gave the command and, this time, the puppy did what it was supposed to do because its trainer waved a treat.

Elsa could hear the woman cheer for the doggie from where she was standing. The woman scooped up the puppy on her arms and twirled with it before putting it down again, this time facing Elsa.

Elsa had a dopey smile on her face after watching the scene, and it took her brain some seconds to recognise the woman as Honeymaren. Shaking herself out of the stupor, she waved when Honeymaren looked at her.

The other woman blinked and waved back at Elsa, recognising her. Signalling to the dog, she started walking towards her, the puppy following closely behind.

Now that the situation was catching up to her, Elsa started panicking on the inside. Oh god, was Honeymaren coming to her to tell her she wasn’t allowed on her shop anymore? Was she going to ask for money in exchange for not filling out for harassment? Was she going to demand she left the park? But it was a public space.

Honeymaren was almost near her and Elsa couldn’t make her escape. Back tense, she waited for Honeymaren’s words.

“Hey, my favourite customer”, she said with a smile. “What are you doing here, enjoying the sun?”

Elsa’s mind froze, out of everything her mind had conjured this was not what she had expected. “Yeah, I am.” She managed to get out.

“Alone in a dog park?” She teased, raising an eyebrow.

“I…” She was saved by Sven’s hefty body coming to her rescue. Coming to her rescue and trampling over Honeymaren, throwing her to the ground. “Oh, god, I am so sorry!” Elsa started and tried to pry Sven off her, only for Olaf to come and start licking the other woman’s face. Honeymaren’s pup, seeing Olaf, started doing the same.

Elsa was starting to worry because she wasn’t strong enough to lift Kristoff’s dog, and she didn’t know what kind of damage he had done. But from underneath him, Elsa started hearing a sound that soon turned into a laugh. She saw Honeymaren’s hands flail, trying to stop Olaf and the other pup from licking her anymore, but she let Sven stay on top of her, his weighty body preventing her from moving.

Elsa took the smaller dogs in her arms and spoke in a stern voice. “Sven. Off. Now. Or you’ll get no treats for the rest of the weekend.”

The dog raised his head and looked curiously at Elsa. She raised one eyebrow but didn’t budge. Sven gave Honeymaren one last look, whined, retreated and sat down. “Good boy,” Elsa said putting the other two down.

Honeymaren sat up looking fondly at Elsa, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. “I guess you weren’t alone after all.” She raised a hand to Elsa, who helped her get up. “Thanks.” The woman shook her pants and looked at Sven and Olaf, who were now behaving like perfect angels. “And who might these two cuties be?” She bent down, petting their heads.

Elsa had a frown on her face watching the interaction. Mostly because she couldn’t believe what tricksters the dogs were. “This is Sven, and the small one is Olaf. They are my nephews, in a way.”

“They are gorgeous,” she rubbed Sven behind the ears, and he panted happily.

“Some hustlers, they are. They are behaving like that because they want you to forget about knocking you down and want me to give them treats later.”

“They didn’t hurt me, so everything is in the past.” She smiled at Elsa and her brown eyes did something to her heart.

Elsa just stared at her, forgetting she had to talk. “I’m glad,” she forced out, “and who is your friend here?” The puppy was sniffling Sven and trying to reach his head, but it was too small.

“She doesn’t have a name yet, we were just doing some training.”

“Oh, is she not yours?”

“No, I’m just doing my brother a favour. She’s the runt of her litter at the shelter my brother works at, and the mother hasn’t been paying her much attention. I’m taking care of her until we can find her a good home. Or until the shelter frees up.” She took the puppy in her arms.

“Oh, poor baby.” Elsa petted her head while she was in Honeymaren’s arms. “She’s beautiful, what breed is she?”

The dog was a mix of grey, white, and black, the tip of her ears was white while the rest was black. “She’s a Norwegian elkhound, which means she will get really big. Not as big as Sven, tho.”

“Wow, it doesn’t look like it now.”

“I know, but just give her a couple of weeks and she’ll be bigger than Olaf.” Honeymaren smiled.

“So, you’re keeping her until you find her a family?” The puppy eyes the elkhound was giving her melted Elsa’s heart a little.

“I mean, if I don’t end up adopting her myself. But in the meantime, she keeps me company in the shop during the day, and, on the weekends, we go to the forest for a walk, don´t we?” She bounced the dog on her hip. “Today we just came here so she can start with simple commands; trained dogs have a higher chance of getting adopted. On the early stages, we have to get them used to different smells and sounds; a dog park is an ideal starting point for these first weeks.”

“I hope she gets the family she deserves. Do you maybe want to sit down?” The pup was getting sleepy in Honeymaren’s arms, and even though she was still small, she probably was pretty heavy, and it would be more comfortable to hold her while sitting.

“Alright, but it’s okay, she barely weighs anything.”

The pair chose a bench far from the noisy crowd, and when they sat down, the puppy in Honeymaren’s arms came to herself and struggled to get down and play catch with Olaf and Sven. Due to his shorter legs, Olaf was mainly doing the catching, but there were times where Sven let himself be caught.

“They’re really cute,” Honeymaren broke the silence.

“Yes, they are,” Elsa agreed. She wrung her hands nervously. “Look, I’m sorry about what I said the other day, it was very inappropriate, and I apologise.”

“Huh?” Then she remembered. “Oh, you don’t have to do that, it’s okay. It caught me by surprise, but all’s good, I promise.” Honeymaren’s look was sincere, and Elsa let out the breath she’d been holding.

They continued watching the dogs play until Honeymaren’s got too tired and came to them. She put her paws on Elsa’s knees wanting to be picked up, and when the woman did, the pup snuggled on her lap and fell asleep. Honeymaren giggled at Elsa’s face. “She likes you,” the brunette said.

They spent almost an hour and a half on the bench until Olaf went to her, whining, and Elsa knew it was time for them to leave. She had been petting the soft fur of the puppy this whole time, and maybe Honeymaren wanted to go home too.

Sven came towards them too and put his big head on Honeymaren’s lap, looking up and giving her his signature puppy eyes. The woman rolled her eyes and indulged the big St Bernard giving him some pats and put Olaf between Elsa and her on the bench so that he could get some love too.

“I guess this is my cue to leave, they’ll be asking for food in no time.” Elsa gently woke up the pup in her arms, who yawned and shook herself.

Honeymaren also stood up from the bench helping Olaf down. “This has been nice, maybe we should do this again,” she suggested. Suddenly, she started talking faster. “Because, you know, it will be good for this girl’s training to play and know some other dogs, not that there aren’t other dogs here, but if she knows them it’s better, and I have to teach her how to behave with others so she doesn’t become too rowdy and… yeah.” She finished lamely, putting her hair behind her ear.

Elsa was trying not to squeal in joy, but her heart faltered when Honeymaren said it would only be for the pup. “Sven and Olaf are not really mine… But my sister won’t mind if I take them some weekends, she’ll probably enjoy the free time with her boyfriend.”

“That’s good,” Honeymaren said.

“That’s great,” Elsa agreed. They both stood there, looking at each other until Sven barked, making them both jump apart.

They shared another smile as they parted ways and Elsa came back home with a skip to her step, even greeting Marshmallow with an enthusiasm not known to her.

Only when she closed the front door did she realise she hadn’t asked for Honeymaren’s number. Oh, well.  
Elsa let her forehead hit the door and groaned.

****

An emergency at the office first thing in the Monday morning prevented Elsa from going to Honeymaren’s shop to get her usual and to ask for her number so they could plan some dates. For the dogs. Playdates, for the dogs, because she was pretty sure Honeymaren thought she was a weirdo.

Oh, yes, with dogs that weren’t even hers. She would have to talk to her sister about that.

“Oaken, can you let Mr Asura know that we’ll be taking a look at his proposal no later than Wednesday next week?” She spoke through the intercom but looked at her secretary from the open door, who nodded. “Thank you. I will take these to Anna, she’ll want to know the contingency plan we are electing so the other can take a backseat.”

She organised the papers on her desk and then walked to her sister’s office and found her with a worried look talking on the phone. Elsa showed her the papers she had in her hand and Anna nodded, exchanging a few more words with the person on the other side of the line promising their deal was still on.

Anna rubbed her temples. “I don’t know how you were able to do this at only eighteen, I feel like I want to curl up in bed and cry and let Kristoff hold me for a while, and then go kick the person responsible for this.

“Don’t worry, Anna,” she left the papers in front of her sister and took a seat. “We caught this on time and we were prepared for something to go wrong, and it did, but I’ve talked with Ms Kell and she assured me the issue was isolated and would not affect the rest of the plan. This is what we consider it’s best to do.” She tapped the papers in front of her.

Anna took them and skimmed through them. She trusted her sister, and if this was the best course of action, she would approve it; Elsa had been on this for longer than she had, and she would take a deeper look into the proposal when she had the time.

“Thank you so much for doing this so fast, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“You would follow the plan and trust your instincts; in time you’ll understand the comes and goes of this and you won’t need me that much.”

“You’re my sister, I’ll always need you,” Anna said with a smile. “But, as CEO, I knew you were the perfect person to take care of this, so I called you in. I’m sorry that both of us had to come in so early and miss our Monday tradition.” She pouted.

Elsa rolled her eyes. “The shop wasn’t open yet, I’ll bring them to you tomorrow.”

“Yes, please, do.” Anna slumped over her desk, her hands almost touching Elsa, who was sitting on the other side. “I am so done with this day and I want it to end already.”

Elsa nervously shifted in her seat. This was it; this was the time to ask her, she wouldn’t really understand what Elsa was going to tell her. Probably.

She put her hair behind her ear. “There’s this thing…” she started.

Anna groaned, not even lifting her head up. “Please no more work, I have a conference call in fifteen minutes.”

Elsa put her hands in front of her, even though Anna couldn’t see them and sat straighter. “It’s not that, I promise. I was wondering… If I could dog-sit Sven and Olaf some more weekends, that’s it.”

Elsa waited for her sister to answer, but the redhead had gone unnervingly still. “Why?” Came the single word.

“I love both of them very much, and I want to spend more time with them. Besides, it would give you and Kristoff more alone time.” She cringed; she really didn’t want to use that as a bargaining chip.

Anna’s head left the table, and she looked at her sister with scrutiny in her eyes. Elsa begged herself not to blush. “Whyyyyy…?” She asked again suspiciously.

Elsa shrugged pitifully, not meeting her sister’s eyes.

But Anna must’ve noticed her blush because she pushed one of the buttons of the intercom. “Kai? Please, delay my next meeting until the last possible minute if I don’t call you back, thanks! Oh, and take my calls for the next ten minutes, I am not to be disturbed, thanks!”

Silence was the only thing in the room, both sisters playing the waiting game, but Anna had always been the worst at them. “Okay, I give up, spill! What has happened this weekend and why didn’t you tell me when I got back,” she demanded.

“Nothing happened!” Elsa replied. “I just… there was someone at the dog park who asked if they could train their dog with Sven and Olaf.” She really couldn’t lie to her sister, but she could withhold some information. Hopefully.

Anna perked up at that. “Sven and Olaf? Trainers for a dog? That will get to their heads, but sure, why didn’t you say that earlier? If you give me their contact, I’ll tell Kristoff about it, and we’ll arrange something.”

Elsa hesitated.

And that’s all it took for Anna to smile slyly. “Oh, I see what this is all about, you’ve met someone!” Anna let out a barely contained shrill. “Tell me all about her!”

“Anna, it’s not like that. Okay, yes, she’s beautiful, but I really want to help her. And it’s nothing, she doesn’t really like me, but we can be friends.”

Anna rested her chin on her fist. “Was she alone in the park?” She asked. Elsa nodded. “Then, maybe, we can assume she doesn’t have a partner, dog walks can be romantic. Did you ask her if she likes women?” She spoke thoughtfully.

Elsa flustered. “How… what… How was I to ask that?”

But Anna was off on her own, taking a blank piece of paper from the side and taking notes on it. “So, no partner, that’s a question mark on ‘liking girls’. Was she wearing a beanie? Plaid?” Elsa nodded at the first question but hesitated at the second one. Anna wrote that down too. “So, question mark, but a strong maybe, we can also add ‘liking animals, owns, at least, a dog’.”

“It was not hers, she was doing a favour to her brother taking her in, I think she mentioned he worked at an animal shelter, and it was full.”

“’Great with animals’ added to the list. Honestly, Elsa, she sounds like she’d be great for you.” Anna leaned back on her seat.

Elsa blinked flabbergasted. “What did we say about dating people we just met?” Not to mention this was not her first time meeting her.

Anna gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Not to. But she sounds great! And she’s taking care of a puppy, serial killers don’t do that!”

“She’s not a serial killer.”

“Duh, that’s what I just said. Okay, I’ll let you dog-sit Olaf and Sven if you promise to get close to her.”

“Anna…”

“Or at least to be friends! You need more friends. And we need more people for family game night…” she added as a second thought.

“That sounds dangerously like a double date,” Elsa warned.

“Fine, then she can bring his brother too.”

“I’m not gonna invite her to a family game night when we barely know each other.”

“Then training the dogs sounds like a magnificent way to get to know your ‘friend’!” Anna quoted her words with her fingers.

Elsa sighed. She was cornered. At least she had managed to convince Anna to lend her Sven and Olaf even if she knew she had been backed into a corner, and there would be no escape from the interrogatory when Honeymaren and her met for training. If.

“Thank you, dear sister.” She said gratefully. She stood up to leave Anna to her matters.

“Wait, one second,” Anna spoke before she could leave. “Did you get her number?”

Elsa stopped dead on her tracks. “I… didn’t?”

Anna laughed. “Then how are you going to ask her?”

Elsa mumbled her words. “I… she mentioned that she goes there every day for their daily walk.”

Anna, poised against the chair, nodded and wrote something in her list. “Thank you. You can tell Kai that I’m ready for the call. And don’t forget that you owe me one!” She added as Elsa closed the door.

Something inside her told her she shouldn’t have said that last part because she knew her sister was going to do something, but now she had no time to think about it because there were too many things to get under control, even if the main fire had been put out.

“Kai, Anna says she’s ready whenever. Oh, and could you please order some food for her? I know this meeting will run longer than expected and I’m sure she’ll forget to eat.”

Anna’s secretary smiled, nodding and Elsa walked back to her office. She really hoped Honeymaren didn’t think that her not going to the shop earlier that morning meant she didn’t want to face her, but she should explain herself tomorrow. She had been thinking about leaving a note on her shop’s door, but at the last minute, she didn’t, thinking that would be creepy. It was not like they were friends, maybe acquaintances, so leaving a note would just be weird.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna finds out something.
> 
> Honeymaren and Elsa go on a date- sorry! _Training_ date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your lovely comments and kudos, and thank you again to my beta-reader [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen).  
> All mistakes are mine.  
> Enjoy!

The next morning, Elsa woke up full of energy. This would be the day when she would ask for Honeymaren’s number, and then they would plan out their dates- playdates, for the dogs, and then she would get to know her better, and then… she would probably do something to destroy their friendship.

She pulled a face.

No. She nodded to herself while correcting her facial expression. Those thoughts were not true, and she was not going to let them ruin this for her. She internally thanked her therapist for all their work.

She went about her usual routine faster than any other day, but she took a little longer to do her make-up. Not because she wanted to look good for Honeymaren, she told herself looking in the mirror.

She was out of the apartment and in the direction of Honeymaren’s shop before she could second-guess her actions. The bell above the door alerted the other woman of her arrival.

Honeymaren turned, and at seeing Elsa there, her expression went from confusion to relief to worry at once. “Elsa, hey, are you okay?” She rounded the cash register and met Elsa halfway.

Elsa’s brain shut down when hearing Honeymaren say her name, it was not something she usually did. “Hi, Honeymaren, I’m alright, why?”

The slightly shorter woman shrugged, looking at one side. “You weren’t here yesterday… I thought you would come in the afternoon, but when you didn’t appear… I got worried. And I don’t know where you take the flowers so it’s not like I could ask anyone.”

Elsa’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh, I am sorry. I got pulled into work because of an emergency first thing in the morning, and by the time I could leave, your shop was already closed. I had to stay at the office all day.”

“Oh… that’s okay, then,” Honeymaren smiled. “And you know it’s just Maren, right?” She teased. The woman walked up to the side of the register and opened the back door. “I hoped you would come today so I saved your usual bouquet, in case you did.” She took out Anna’s beautiful present, already wrapped.

There was a ruckus inside the back room. Elsa cocked an eyebrow. “Is everything alright?” Honeymaren had gone back inside.

“Yeah, yeah!” Her voice came a little muffled and Elsa could hear metal scraping together. “It’s just…” She appeared with a grey bundle in her arms. “Looks like someone just got up from her nap and wanted some cuddles.”

The Norwegian elkhound she had been introduced to the other day let out a yawn and looked at Elsa, whose insides did a backflip from the cuteness of it all. She caressed the pups head with a soft smile. “Still no name?”

Honeymaren shook her head softly. “I don’t want to get too attached to her in case she gets adopted.”

“You should think about adopting her then, you both look good together.”

Honeymaren groaned playfully but smiled brightly. “Not you too, my brother’s also been suggesting that.”

Elsa spoke with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You know what they say, great minds think alike.”

“Yeah, but fools seldom differ.” Honeymaren let the puppy on the floor. Elsa let out a fake hurt gasp, but both of them had smiles on their faces. “Not that you are a fool or look like one. My brother, on the other hand…” She laughed.

The puppy decided to investigate every plant and flower on the shop, carefully sniffing each and every one of them while she was being observed by Elsa and Honeymaren.

“By the way,” the florist started. “Did you think about what I told you on Saturday? It’s okay if you can’t, really.” She asked nervously.

“I did ask my sister, and she says it will be good for Olaf and Sven to have new friends.”

“Great, then… can I have your number?”

Elsa’s eyes widened. “Huh?”

“To set up the dates? The training dates, I mean. For the dogs.” She over-explained.

“Oh, gosh, yes, yes.” She fished her phone out of her handbag. It was the latest model, with a snowflake patterned case. She gave it to Honeymaren.

The woman looked at her with a funny expression but said nothing, choosing instead to unlock the screen which showed two young girls with bright and big smiles in the snow next to a crudely built snowman. The tallest girl had platinum hair just like Elsa, so she assumed that was her when she was a child, which meant the other girl had to be her sister.

Opening the contact list, she added her name and number and gave the phone back. “You can just text me now so that I can have yours too.”

“Oh,” Elsa said softly. She set out to do that and saw that the woman had saved herself as Honeymaren with a flower next to her name. Elsa texted her with a giddy smile that she tried to cover.

A rustle on the front door made both of them turn. “Hey! No, no, no, no, no.” Honeymaren hurried to where the puppy had been munching on some plants, picked her up and moved her away. “We don’t do that.” She explained patiently, “because that’ll make you puke, and then I will have to clean it up. Also, those things you ate are my job and you don’t want to leave me jobless.” The puppy whined. “Good, a few more minutes and we’ll go on a walk.” She put down the dog, who followed behind, and moved to the register. Elsa did the same.

“I should be leaving, I took a lot of your time already,” the blonde girl said.

Honeymaren waved her off. “Nonsense, it was really good to see you’re okay.” She clicked some things on her computer and pushed the bouquet towards Elsa. “I hope your sister enjoys this one.”

Elsa smiled and paid for it. “I’m sure she will. I have been instructed to tell you that she will be the one to hire you for her wedding, not her boyfriend. They both want to pry you off of me.”

“She’s getting married?” She furrowed her brow. Elsa didn’t look that old and based on the photo she had seen she was the older sister. It was a little weird, but not unheard of getting married that young.

“Not now, but eventually. I’m confident Kristoff is the one for her, as she is for him.”

“Good for her. Well, this would be all. Will we talk about setting something up? Soon?” She asked hopefully.

“We will. Thank you, and both of you have a wonderful day.” Elsa knelt down to give one last pet to the puppy, who was sitting next to Honeymaren. She waved again from the door and saw that Honeymaren had shifted to stand next to the register, looking at her with a smile.

Her sister hadn’t arrived at the headquarters yet, so she left the bouquet on her desk and left to organise her day; she knew Anna would come to her when she arrived.

The previous day’s issue had been solved already, and they were on the first stages of repairing what had been broken, but everyone was still on edge. She started receiving calls from her subordinates about things they usually had no problem doing, but she was patient with them. If they did not proceed with caution, things could go south really quickly after events like this.

She heard the quick footsteps of her sister before her door burst open. “Elsa! It’s beautiful!” She put the bouquet in front of Elsa, on top of the papers she had been revising. Elsa had to back away quickly not to be hit with the wooden vase.

It was small but very colourful, with some orange roses and lilies, but she did not recognise the other ones, and Honeymaren hadn’t had the time to explain those. There was purple, red, and green accompanying the other flowers.

“Man, your florist is really something else,” Anna said admiringly.

“She really is,” Elsa blurted softly with a dreamy look in her eyes.

“Wait, ‘she’?” Anna smirked. “Don’t tell me you’ve been buying pretty flowers from a pretty girl instead of giving them to her.”

Elsa panicked. “I… You… I don’t… Anna!”

Her sister laughed maniacally. “Not only do you have a recent crush on the dog lady, but you also have one on the florist you’ve been going to for months! This is too good!” She had to grip her stomach from laughing too hard while Elsa flushed completely. Her spine straight, she waited for her sister’s teasing laughter to die down. It took a while.

“Happy now?” Elsa grumbled.

“I’m ecstatic! You’ve been crushing on the flower girl for months! And now you’re also crushing on the dog lady! If you behave the same way with this one as you’ve done with your florist, you’ll have ten dogs adopted in no time. Starting with this one you’re going to train."

“I… don’t think I would be suited to care for such a creature, what if I hurt her?”

“The dog lady?” Elsa gave Anna a look. “Alright, alright. Look, when you brought me Olaf, I was scared of not being able to give him a good life, but he likes it! The only thing you have to do is to love them. And feed them, and give them a nice bed, and take them on walks-”

“Anna.”

“Oh, yes, yes. But if you do adopt her, you’ll take good care of her, I know it. It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve taken care of someone, and you do a great job with Olaf and Sven when they stay at your place.”

“Thank you. I don’t think I’ll adopt her because I wouldn’t want her to spend most of the day alone.”

Anna waved her off. “Don’t worry about that, I’m thinking of changing the strict no-pets rule because some of our employees have service dogs.” She looked above Elsa’s shoulder with a pensive look. “Maybe we could even build an area for the animals on the ground floor.”

“Anna, we’re not becoming a dog nursery.” Elsa deadpanned.

“What? Oh, not like a real nursery, but they could meet each other, and our employees could go there to wind down. I know it always helps to hug Olaf when I feel stressed.”

Elsa sighed. “We’ll think about it. But I am not adopting that dog.”

“Great! Gotta run now, sis, but I’ll have Maia write the first draft.” She kissed Elsa’s cheek and took her bouquet with her. “And if you get your dog-lady’s number do tell, I have spoken with Kristoff, as long as he doesn’t need Sven at work, you can have both dogs. Of course, you can look after Olaf whenever you want, he’s also yours, bye!”

Anna didn’t bother closing the door, and Elsa could hear her starting to talk to Oaken about her new flowers. Elsa let out another fond sigh, she loved to hear her sister be excited about something, as long as that excitement didn’t meddle with her affairs. Like having to tell Anna about her crush on the ‘dog-lady’ as she called her. Or the ‘flower girl’. Thankfully Anna didn’t know both these people were the same person or she would be getting teased more than she already was.

Elsa took that break from her job to check her phone, and she found a message and a video from Honeymaren waiting for her.

_**Honeymaren:** The little one enjoys  
being outside a little too much.  
[1 element attached]_

The video showed the elkhound waving her tail from side to side, with so much energy it sometimes moved her whole body. It was short and sweet, and Elsa found herself falling in love a little with the pup.

 _ **Elsa:** She’s a cutie.  
And as long as I warn my sister beforehand  
we could meet up whenever you want.  
Preferably on the afternoons, but  
I’m free most weekends._

Was that too much to put on a message? Was it too soon to ask to meet? Elsa didn’t let herself second guess the text too much, and after pressing send, she put her cell phone on mute and put it in the left drawer. She wouldn’t check it until lunch, otherwise, she’d seem too eager. And she was, but she didn’t want Honeymaren to notice that.

She wasn’t disappointed when, at lunchtime, she checked her phone to find an answer from Honeymaren:

_**Honeymaren:** Great! I can do this  
Friday if that’s okay. 5 p.m. on  
the same spot good with you?_

_**Elsa:** Perfect. See you then._

****

Convincing Anna to borrow Olaf and Sven had been easy. Convincing Anna not to go undercover to the park to watch the pair had been a more difficult task, she was only appeased when Elsa reasoned that both dogs would know she was there, blowing her cover.

Anna took Olaf and Sven into work that Friday so Elsa could pick them up after work. Kristoff would be working so he couldn’t take them to Elsa’s in the afternoon and so Anna’s first act to convince both Elsa and the board to build a dog-zone on the ground floor had started.

Fortunately, Olaf and Sven were very well behaved and almost slept the morning away at Anna’s office, with the sisters taking them on a walk when it was due.

And now Elsa was panicking in front of the mirror trying to decide what to wear because she couldn’t just wear some leggings and a sweater like she had been wearing that time they met on the park, but this also wasn’t a date so she couldn’t go fancy casual.

After trying four different outfits on, she knew she had to choose one or she’d be late, so she put on the second one: faded blue jeans, a white turtleneck with a thigh-length black light jacket over it, and flat shoes. All in all, it was a comfortable outfit and not too fancy. Putting her keys, wallet, and phone in her pockets, Elsa took Olaf and Sven’s leashes and exited the apartment.

She had waved goodbye to Marshmallow with the building door just closing behind her when she heard the familiar voice: “Elsa, hey!”

She turned around and saw Honeymaren’s familiar figure approaching her. She was wearing black pants and a tan fur-lined bomber jacket. Her hair was pulled into a single braid and was covered by the same beanie she had been wearing the other day. Tied around her waist was a plaid shirt. Damn Anna.

Honeymaren was holding onto the pup’s leash tightly as she was trying to run to Olaf and Sven, who were waving their tails, happy to see their friend.

“Honeymaren, hi.”

“Just Maren is okay. This is a nice coincidence, now we can walk together to the park.” She let the dogs greet each other and then they continued.

“I live in that building.” She motioned to their backs. “I should’ve told you we could meet at your shop.”

“That’s okay, I didn’t know you lived that close, or I would’ve said something too.”

They went to the park and unfastened their dog’s leashes in the space enclosed for them. As soon as they were free, they started running; Sven in the lead, followed by the elkhound and Olaf far behind because his little feet didn’t allow him much speed. But they were having fun, and Elsa and Honeymaren walked through the park behind them.

“So, when does the training start?” Elsa asked as an icebreaker.

Honeymaren had her hands on her pockets. “We’ll let them play for a little longer. I don’t want the puppy to think of this place as her training grounds per se, I want her to have fun too, so she burns some of that puppy energy.”

Soon enough, the three dogs came back to where Elsa and Honeymaren were sitting, and the girls let them rest. Honeymaren took out a brass bowl and a water bottle from her backpack and let the dogs drink.

Once they were sufficiently rested, Honeymaren clapped her hands and got up. “Let’s start.”

They all followed her into the grass, to an area where the distractions would be minimal and Honeymaren told Elsa to keep Sven and Olaf close to her as to not interrupt.

Elsa watched Honeymaren start with the exercises she had done the previous day. She was mainly saying ‘watch me’ to get the puppy’s attention, and as Honeymaren explained after, it was the first command the puppy should learn to bridge her onto the next one. They moved to the next one, and for that Elsa did participate. As Sven and Olaf were both trained in simple commands, Honeymaren wanted her puppy to watch the other two and to learn the maybe more complicated instructions.

At first, the puppy was curious, happy that her friends had joined her, but calmed down bit by bit as Elsa commanded Olaf and Sven to sit and they paid more attention to their owner than to her. Honeymaren tried to do the same with her, and it didn’t take the puppy too long to understand what was going on. By the time they decided to end the session, the puppy had managed to learn how to sit without Honeymaren having to correct her position.

The training had, of course, been made more bearable to the dogs by receiving treats whenever they did things correctly, and by the time Honeymaren decided it was time to finish for today, the elkhound had a very good grasp on the commands ‘watch me’ and ‘sit’.

They left the dogs playing some more while Elsa and Honeymaren went back to the bench to watch over them. “That was a very educational thing to watch,” Elsa mentioned.

Honeymaren tried to brush off the compliment with a shrug. “It was basic training, it’s not much. She is extremely intelligent, and even though it seems she is very wild, she has shown patience, so she’ll have no problem learning more commands; that’ll make her more prone to get adopted.”

“Still not thinking about getting her for yourself?” Elsa teased.

Honeymaren chuckled. “All the time, but Ryder has me training pups and dogs sometimes, it would do me no good to adopt every single one of them.”

“Is Ryder your brother?” Elsa asked. Honeymaren hummed in confirmation. “Where does he work at exactly?”

“Oh, he works in an animal shelter, on the village just outside town, Northuldra. Although it’s not technically his as he’s only twenty, Utsi has been training him to take over her when he finishes his studies.”

“That is great,” Elsa smiled.

“Yeah, I usually volunteer on weekends to help him with all the animals. It’s not just cats and dogs, we take in a variety of animals: from horses to tortoises to birds. There are days when it gets crazy, but we manage, and we have deals with other shelters that are more equipped to deal with some types of animals.”

“Wow…” Elsa was surprised.

“Yeah… so because of that, I sometimes help him out by taking animals to my place when it gets too crowdy, mostly dogs or cats, and that’s how I ended up with that pretty puppy over there.” She pointed to where the trio was sniffing something. “When they stay with me, they also get to come to work… They get used to human contact that way. Cats are quite independent, those I can usually leave on their own.”

“That sounds amazing. But I couldn’t imagine not getting attached to them, and then having to send them off…” The corners of her mouth pulled down.

“It’s a fine line to walk. But it doesn’t mean I never get to see them again, once space frees up on the shelter they go back there, and I visit them on the weekends. Until they get adopted. But that’s a good thing for them.” Honeymaren smiled.

Silence stretched over them, but it was comfortable. When Honeymaren’s puppy got too tired, she came back to the pair and jumped onto Elsa’s lap, as she had done the other day. The platinum blonde was surprised by this, and Honeymaren let out a chuckle. Petting the elkhound, the pair watched Olaf and Sven make friends with another dog and its owner, but they looked back at Elsa on occasion to make sure she was still there.

On their way back, they let the elkhound walk on her own. Too soon, they arrived at Elsa’s building. “This has been nice,” she said lamely.

Honeymaren agreed. “It has.”

This time the silence got a little awkward, but they got saved by Olaf. The corgi walked up to Honeymaren and stood up, setting his paws on Honeymaren’s knees, or as high as he could reach, as if he was waiting for something. Honeymaren laughed and picked up the dog, cuddling him a little and gifting him a kiss on his forehead. Elsa watched enraptured, with a dazed look on her eyes.

“He really is cuddly.” Honeymaren put him down, squatted, and gave the same treatment to Sven.

“Yes, he is, he gives really warm hugs.” Sven gave Elsa with a hurt look. “And you are the most handsome, and the best big brother.” She chuckled and rubbed between his ears. Sven panted in pleasure.

“So, would you be willing to meet up once a week at least?” Honeymaren asked with her hands on the pockets of her trousers.

“Yeah. As long as nothing drastic happens at work, I can meet up same time next week. Or maybe you wanted to meet up this weekend too?” Elsa hoped she didn’t sound too hopeful.

But Honeymaren shook her head sadly. “Ryder has to check up on the pup, and I have a prior commitment. But next week sounds great.”

Elsa smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Next week it is. See you on Monday.” She said goodbye, and, fishing the keys out of her pocket, she guided Sven and Olaf inside.

Honeymaren waited for her to get into the building and made sure that Elsa had disappeared from view before looking up and letting go a groan. Walking towards her shop with the puppy on her heels, she cursed on her bad luck at having organised a meeting with Yelana the next day.

She entered the shop to pick up some things and let the puppy drink from the bowl from earlier. Honeymaren looked at the elkhound happily quenching her thirst. She really needed to think of a name, but she didn’t really want to get too attached to her because she was a beautiful dog and Honeymaren knew she was going to get adopted soon.

Hopefully, the shelter would free up soon enough, and Honeymaren would forget about the feelings this dog gave her, but it was crazy busy up there now so who knew when that would be.

Turning off the lights, she locked tight behind her and got into her car, helping the dog get into the dog-crate in the backseat.

***

Elsa watched Honeymaren’s car leave from her vantage point, and for the first time that afternoon, she checked her phone to find a text from her sister.

_**TheClumsyOne:** I hope your ‘not-date’  
went great  
Just wanted to tell you  
you’re invited to breakfast tomorrow  
before work so that you can bring  
our sons home  
(And so that you can  
tell me about everything that ‘did  
not happen’)_

_**Elsa:** We just trained the dogs!  
But I’ll be there._

_**TheClumsyOne:** Then you can tell me all  
about training, can’t wait! Love you!_

_**Elsa:** Love you too._

Elsa sighed at Anna’s childish antics. She knew her sister would not believe her anyway, so at least she had a few hours until the dreaded reunion.

Preparing Sven and Olaf’s dinners, she put together a chicken salad and some wine for herself and took it all to the living room so she could eat with the TV on.

The dogs joined her on the couch when they were done, and when all of them were getting too sleepy, Elsa cleaned up and changed into her pyjamas, allowing the dogs to cuddle up to her in bed. That was a guilty pleasure she never told Anna, that she let her dogs into bed because surprisingly the redhead did not allow that in her house.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sibling talks everywhere. We meet some familiar faces.  
> (Squint and you'll see some plot)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Went back to fix some things; now the texts Honeymaren and Elsa exchange should be more readable.
> 
> Thank you, as always, to my beta reader [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen), and to you, reader.  
> Enjoy!

“KRISTOFF! ELSA’S HERE!” Anna yelled while opening the door to her sister. She hugged Elsa tightly and the older woman held on just as tight. After all they had been through, long hugs were something both of them looked forward to, even if they had seen each other hours ago.

Sven barked, and Anna finally let Elsa go greet the dogs. Taking off her blue coat, she hung it with her handbag in the hanger near the door. She left the dogs’ leashes on their place. “We went for a walk so the three of us are quite hungry,” she warned.

Kristoff’s head popped up from the kitchen. “Good morning, Elsa, good to see you.”

“Good morning, Kristoff.” She gave him a quick side hug because he had a pan and a spatula on his hands. “What are you making?” She entered the kitchen and rolled up the sleeves of her sweater, ready to help.

“Anna wanted crepes, and you know her wishes are my command. We’re also making bacon, and there’s sliced cheese already on the table.” He nodded towards the island in the middle of the kitchen.

“Do you want me to help with anything?” Not that she was any better than Anna in the kitchen, but she had the need to help out.

“You can start taking the plates and mugs to the table. Anna has made your favourite coffee, but there’s also some tea if you feel like it,” he offered.

Elsa smiled at the sweet gesture. “Coffee is alright, thank you. Anna, stop playing with the dogs and come help.”

Sometimes it felt like they were children again and Elsa had to take care of Anna, telling her to do or stop doing something. Anna scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue, but she got up from where she had been petting the dogs and hip-checked Elsa when she passed by.

Arranging the things on the table, Elsa turned and looked into the kitchen and smiled. Anna was laughing and moving as she was trying to steal a piece of bacon from a plate while Kristoff was trying to prevent it while also paying attention to the pans on the fire.

Anna exited the kitchen with the coffee maker in one hand and a bowl of fruit in the other and smiled softly at Elsa. She put them in the middle of the table so everyone would be able to reach them.

“Come here.” She dragged her sister to the couch and Elsa could do nothing but follow.

They sat on the couch face to face, Anna’s showing far more giddiness than Elsa was feeling. “So…” Elsa said.

“So…” Anna replied smugly. “How was your ‘not-date’ with the pretty dog lady?” 

“It wasn’t a date.”

“That’s what I said.”

Elsa sighed. This was gonna be excruciating. “It was good. We trained the dogs.”

“Come on, Elsa! You can’t just give me that!” Anna threw up her hands. “This is the first time that I’ve seen you show interest in someone, I want to know everything! I want to know what she likes, what she’s like and when are you going to see her next.”

“I don’t know her that much; we didn’t talk about ourselves. But she likes to volunteer on weekends at her brother’s animal shelter in Northuldra, a village just outside of town.”

“Northuldra? I’ve never heard of that place before.” Anna blinked.

“Me neither, which is surprising. We’ll have to look it up on a map later.”

“Yeah, yeah, but continue.”

“There’s really not much else to it. I bumped into her on the street and we walked together to the park. We let the dogs play, trained them a little, and they played again. Then we walked back home.”

Anna pouted, clearly sad at the lack of romanticism of that outing. “That’s all? There weren’t longing looks, small touches clearly not unintentional? Elsa! I thought I taught you better!”

Elsa backed up a little, hands up. “You are the one thinking that was a date! I told you it wasn’t!”

“Elsa!”

“Anna!”

“Girls!” An exasperated voice called from behind them and they both turned to look at Kristoff, who backed away scared of the looks he received. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I just wanted to say that breakfast is served and if we don’t eat soon, it will get cold. You can continue your sister talk later.”

Elsa got up, happy for the interruption. Maybe getting some food into Anna would make her less pushy.

The three of them sat around the table and started eating. The dogs were in the kitchen eating their own food.

“I couldn’t help but overhear you talking about Northuldra,” Kristoff spoke up. “It’s a village up North, in the Enchanted Forest. I’ve never been there myself, but Sven and I used to take walks nearby.”

Anna spoke with a full mouth. “Enchanted Forest? That sounds like a name out of a fairy tale, weird.”

“I don’t know if that is its real name but at least that’s how it's known around here,” Kristoff shrugged.

“An animal shelter, tho,” Anna returned her attention to Elsa. “Maybe you can go check it out some time, see if there’s any animal that makes you want to adopt them.”

“You are going to adopt an animal?” Kristoff perked up.

Elsa opened her mouth, but Anna beat her to it. “She says the dog our sons have been helping train is beautiful and I suggested she adopted her. But maybe you can start with something smaller, maybe a cat?” Elsa threw her a look. “Not because of the stereotypes! It’s said they are lower maintenance compared to dogs, not having to go outside and all that.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready to have a pet, but I might go look.”

“Oh, oh, Kristoff! And you’re not gonna believe it, there’s a second woman!”

Kristoff looked confused. “A second woman? There’s someone else training the dogs too?”

“No, Elsa likes another woman too. The florist we’ve been fighting for is a ‘she’ and Elsa likes her.”

All the eyes shifted to Elsa and she flushed, looking away and drinking from her cup.

“And here I thought the womaniser was Anna,” Kristoff said full of confidence that disappeared when Elsa threw him a frosty look.

Anna sharply turned her face towards her sister. “Wait. You never told me her name. Actually, you told me neither.”

Elsa tensed. “Oh, em… Her name is… Maren,” she gulped.

“Dog lady?” Anna asked. Elsa nodded. “And the florist?”

Elsa’s heart started beating faster. “She’s… Honey?”

Anna tilted her head. “Honey?” She repeated oddly.

“Uh-huh,” Elsa nodded vigorously.

“That’s a happy coincidence, her name being Honey and working at a flower shop.”

“Sure…”

“Honey and Maren…” Kristoff said pensively. “Those are not usual names, but they’re cool.”

“Yeah… they are,” Elsa faked her laugh.

The breakfast continued as they talked, their conversation turned to other points, and Elsa was grateful neither Anna nor Kristoff had noticed her strange behaviour. Afterwards, everyone helped clean up, with Anna and Elsa on dishwashing duty as Kristoff having cooked all the food.

They went to the park outside Anna’s apartment complex before they had to say goodbye to Kristoff and the dogs. They didn’t have to go to work as much as they would during the weekday, so they could come in later than they would on a normal day. For lunch, Kristoff went to pick both the women up, and they went to the cosy corner-shop that allowed dogs and they parted ways when they got back to Anna’s, Elsa hugging her sister tight before getting in her Audi.

“See you on Monday, sis.”

“Love you, Anna.”

****

“Maren! Get your butt here, now!”

Honeymaren had just stepped into the shelter’s lobby when the voice of her brother rang. Sighing, she greeted the woman on the front desk and walked to the back to find Ryder searching for something along all the dog cages and behind them too.

“What are you doing?” She asked with dubious concern on her voice.

“She escaped again!” He didn’t even turn to greet her as he laid down on the floor to look under the tables.

There were mostly cats and dogs on this part of the shelter, which was what the families that came to adopt usually saw. Honeymaren commanded the elkhound walking at her side to stop and sit. “Who escaped?”

“Gale!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Ryder kept moving from one side of the place to another. “She is… a little jackass. A grey and brown ferret. You remember that family that left her here because she was a Houdini? Well, she’s escaped her cage again, the fourth time this week! I went to feed her, and her cage was open.”

Once she knew what was happening, Honeymaren started looking for the mischievous animal. “Are you sure you remembered to double-lock her cage?”

“Yes! I think. Probably. But I do remember I locked her in.”

Honeymaren shook her head. “That’s probably how she got away.”

They went little by little, checking the other rooms and closing the door behind them after making sure she wasn’t there. After a while, the only place left to double-check was the room Honeymaren had found her brother in.

“She can’t be here! I’ve checked twice before you came.”

“One more time couldn’t hurt.”

But they didn’t find her there.

Ryder rubbed his eyes. “Oh no, I so messed up. Utsi is gonna be so mad at me when she finds out I’ve lost an animal. She’ll fire me!”

Honeymaren rolled her eyes. Ryder was being dramatic, Utsi loved the boy as if he were her own son so he was safe. Something moved on the corner of her eye. She turned towards it and suddenly she was being attacked by something.

She backed up so quickly that she fell to the ground, but whatever had attacked her jumped from her face. She could hear Ryder scream. The bloody ferret was on her brother’s head, running wildly around his body to prevent Ryder from catching her.

“Help me! Help me! Help me!” He was tossing and turning, but the animal was too fast. She bit Ryder’s ear and the boy shrieked.

Honeymaren got on her feet and went to her brother. After some tries, they managed to grapple her before she was able to jump to her freedom once again.

Ryder angrily, but gently, put her back in her cage where her food was waiting and double-locked and triple-checked that the thing was closed.

Gale ran around the cage, the noises she made making her look like she was laughing at Ryder. She probably was.

“Thanks,” Ryder told Honeymaren.

“No problem. But you should really be careful with that thing, I don’t think she’s ever gonna get adopted if she continues like that.”

“I think she’s just trying to get people to pay her attention. She bit me, but it didn’t really hurt.”

“This time,” Honeymaren observed. “Anyway, I came here with this beautiful lady for you to check on her.” She beckoned her dog forward.

But Ryder had other ideas in mind. “You finally asked the woman that comes to your shop out?” That got him a smack on the back of his head. “Ow… Sorry, sorry. The puppy, yes. We should go to Emel, he should have finished doing inventory by now.”

Honeymaren picked up the dog in her arms and followed Ryder to the clinic on the other side of the compound. The animal shelter also functioned as a vet for pets on Northuldra or nearby places, or for animals that needed urgent care.

Emel was sitting on his desk, writing something, and looked up when the siblings entered. “Honeymaren, Ryder, hello.”

“Hi, Emel.” Said Honeymaren. She liked the older man; he was always patient be it with animals or humans, and treated the former as if he was treating children.

“Remember the litter from two months ago? We had Maren take in one of the puppies because there was no room. Well, the doggie is here for a check-up.”

“Oh! Good.” He got up from his chair and told Honeymaren to put the dog on the table. He checked her breathing, fur, and paws. He measured her weight and height. Comparing the date with the charter they had on her, he made some other final checks and took some notes, updating the information. “Everything seems to be looking good. I would advise not overfeeding her as these elkhounds are prone to rapid weight gain, and I recommend plenty of exercise to keep her active.”

“I have the feeding times and rations Ryder gave me and I take her on a walk at least three times a day. More now that the weather’s been so good, and, on the weekends, we go for a run in the forest,” Honeymaren explained.

“Very good, very good indeed. Have you started training her?”

Honeymaren nodded. “As soon as she came with me. The first weeks were a little difficult because she thought we were playing, but she has caught up to learning new commands very fast. She’s made friends with two other dogs and their owner agreed to help train her.” She could see her brother perk up at the mention of the other person, but thankfully, he said nothing.

Emel nodded to himself. “Then we don’t have to worry about her not fully developing socialisation skills. I see here that she had to part ways with her mother a little sooner than twelve weeks?”

Ryder answered this one. “The mother wasn’t paying her much attention and her siblings picked on her too much, we had to intervene.”

“That’s unfortunate, she is a gentle soul.”

“She’s also very smart.” Honeymaren piped in.

“I don’t think she’ll have any problems growing up or connecting with the family who adopts her as long as she’s taken to the vet when it’s due and has her shots in order.”

Ryder spoke again. “We had a couple of people come and verbally agree to adopt some of the puppies from her litter, but nothing solid so far. We want the dogs to be with their mother a little bit more to be certain that they can live with children and other pets.”

“For what I’ve seen, they are a beautiful and healthy litter, so I foresee them getting adopted as soon as you put them up for it. It would be preferable if the family that was to take them in lived near a park or the forest where the dogs could exercise in, but that’s up to you.”

“Yeah, I’ve spoken with Utsi and both of us are reviewing the families,” Ryder spoke. “But if we’re done here, I have to take Maren with me so she can help out outdoors.”

“Sure, sure,” the vet waved them off. “You, young people, go enjoy the weather as much as you can. And Ryder, do make sure to be on my next meeting with Utsi.”

The siblings and the dog went to the backside of the compound, where it opened up to acres and acres of fenced land to give the impression of freedom. The land was divided into zones because not all animals were given the same amount of freedom, and, on its far side, it went into the forest.

Only the first zone was opened, so guarding the dogs was an easy job. Honeymaren let the puppy run free.

“I have a meeting with Yelana in like two hours, what do you want me to do?”

“First of all, I need you to tell me how it went with the pretty girl who buys you flowers and trained a dog with you even when she doesn’t have a dog. Then we can clean the stables.”

“It went well… I think,” Honeymaren grimaced a little. “I don’t think she realised I was asking her out, so I don’t think she’s into women.” She sighed. “She’s agreed to help out more; at least we can be friends.”

Ryder patted his sister’s shoulder. “Aw, that sucks, I’m so sorry.”

Honeymaren shrugged. “That’s okay, I’ll get over it eventually.”

The siblings arrived at the stables. At this time of the day they were empty, the animals that occupied them were busy grazing the grass, so it was the perfect time to clean them up.

“You know,” Ryder started. “I think that woman is just shy. After everything you’ve told me, it seems she likes you, but she’s just awkward.”

Honeymaren was shovelling some hay. “And you are telling me that?” She sounded disbelieved. “You, who has not had a single partner in his life?”

“Hey! Rude… But yeah. But come on, Maren! Just give the woman a chance and you might be surprised. That comment about you on top of her… You are my sister and I don’t want to make it weird, but I don’t think a straight woman would just blurt that out and panic the next second.”

“Right now, I’m gonna focus on being her friend. She’s been coming to the shop weekly without fail and we’re finally talking about things that are not work-related. I wanna know more about her, that’s it.”

Ryder shook his head with a smile. “Whatever you say, Maren, whatever you say.”

After helping Ryder with whatever else he needed help with, Honeymaren left for the meeting with Yelana, leaving the puppy behind with the promise of getting her back later.

Northuldra was not a very big village, the population was not over three hundred, and almost everyone knew everybody. Yelana was the unspoken leader of it, as it did not have a mayor and did not depend on the city for funding.

But Yelana knew all the comes and goes of every Northuldran and was the previous owner of Honeymaren’s shop, so when she said ‘jump’ everyone else asked ‘how high?’.

Yelana lived in a modest house in the middle of the village and Honeymaren parked next to it. The house was not ostentatious, but it had more rooms than necessary for only one person because there was always someone staying over.

The door was open, so Honeymaren entered the kitchen and found Yelana kneading. “Hello, Yelana, I’m here for our meeting?”

The older woman looked back at Honeymaren and nodded. “Give me a couple of minutes to finish this and I’ll be with you. The Sutil’s had to take their younger daughter to the doctor so they left here the older ones.”

“No problem. Do you want any help?”

“Sure, put some water in the kettle for some tea.”

Honeymaren did as she was told and prepared two cups of tea. Yelana finished kneading, put the dough aside and set a timer. “Now, let’s go to the living room so we can keep an eye on the little ones.”

The two other children of the Sutil’s were playing with a ball on Yelana’s backyard. Honeymaren sat down on one of the couches and Yelana left her tea on the table to leave the room and returned with a couple of papers. “This will be a fairly quick meeting; I don’t have much to say.”

“I see you got last month’s balance.”

“I do, I’m quite impressed with what you’ve done with the place. Continuous growth since I left you in charge. Good.”

Honeymaren looked to the side and rubbed her head. “I know there was-”

Yelana put up her hand, stopping her words. “A bad month or two is something you should expect, the market fluctuates depending on the supply and demand, but you’ve managed to acquire a client list that orders from you frequently.”

“I have.”

“Then you’ve done everything perfectly.”

Honeymaren groaned in frustration. “But we still can’t open up more places in the city due to that… dumb law!”

Yelana put a hand on her knee. “I know, and it’s unfair. But all we can do now is our best to survive and look into some more options.”

“We’ve talked to virtually everyone we could. That treacherous leech did everything in his hand to make sure we could not turn around that law.”

“Honeymaren… Our people are looking into it, have been looking into it, and will look into it. That is not your job, your job is to continue tending to the shop and the flowers, and to make sure it stays where it is.”

Honeymaren took a deep breath. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, dear.” Yelana took back her hand and sipped the tea. “The seeds you asked for arrived yesterday and I’ve already catalogued them and started their production. There are some in the greenhouse’s cabinet, I didn’t want to use them all.” Yelana’s backyard housed the greenhouse that was used to grow most of the shop’s flowers.

“Perfect, thank you very much.”

“Now, I’ve been hearing some interesting things from Ryder.”

Honeymaren groaned and threw her head on the cushions behind. “Oh god, he’s got a big mouth.”

Yelana chuckled. “He tried to keep it to himself, but he was very excited when you told him you had a date- oh sorry, a _playdate_ for your dog and that other woman’s.”

“It’s not my dog, and she’s just helping me train her with her sister’s dogs, nothing else.”

Yelana threw her a know-it-all look. “Dear, if you wanted dogs to help you train the puppy, Ryder’s been managing a shelter full of them.”

Honeymaren opened her mouth but promptly shut it. “So?” She flushed.

The older woman shrugged. “Nothing, I think it’s cute.”

Honeymaren flushed even redder. 

“But I can see that you are not comfortable talking about it, so I’ll wait until you are ready.” Yelana had a twinkle in her eyes while she sipped the tea.

“Thank you. I have to get back to Ryder, is there anything you need me to do?”

Yelana shook her head. “You are good, if I have any questions, I’ll ring you tomorrow.”

“I’ll spend the day with Ryder and tomorrow I’m planning on going up the mountain with some of the gentler dogs, in case you try contacting me but I’m not home.”

Honeymaren said her goodbyes and went back to the shelter to help Ryder out. She was glad that she had such a support net, but sometimes they meddled too much. Thankfully they spent most days on Northuldra, so they had no business going to the city to get into hers.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Half a step forward is still forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, beta-read by [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen)
> 
> Thank you all for your kudos and comments ^^

“Hey! My favourite customer!” 

Elsa smiled as the voice of Honeymaren reached the entrance. “Good morning, Honeymaren.”

“Oh, are we going by full names still? Good morning, Elsa.”

“How was your weekend?” Elsa asked, hoping it wasn’t too informal.

Honeymaren smiled. “Good, the pup and I went for a walk in the forest with some other rescued dogs. It was a calming experience.”

“That’s nice. I feel like it’s been ages since the last time I went to a forest. Well, there was that one time…” Elsa trailed off. “Nevermind. It’s been a long time since I went anywhere near nature, that’s more Anna and her boyfriend’s thing.”

Honeymaren finished tying up Elsa’s bouquet. “Well, you’re always welcomed in any of my walks.” She offered.

There was a beat where they looked at each other waiting for the other to talk. Then they talked at the same time.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose…”

“I mean, of course, only if you want …”

“…in your time with the animals…”

“…to go admire nature again…”

Both stopped talking at the same time and started laughing.

“Sorry,” Honeymaren said when they calmed down. “You were saying?”

“I don’t want to intrude on your time if that’s something you like to do alone.”

“It’s no biggie. It’s something I do most weekends, a way to recharge batteries after a long week in the city.” Honeymaren shrugged nonchalantly, but deep down she wished Elsa would say yes. “We could take some horses up a path that I know of…”

Elsa’s heart was pounding. Did Honeymaren realise this sounded a lot like she was asking her out on a date? But she wasn’t really saying that, so maybe she thought it would be a friendly outing? She was pretty confused. Honeymaren opened her mouth but Elsa beat her to it.

“I’d like that,” Elsa answered. “I don’t know when I’ll be free, but yes, I’m in.”

Honeymaren’s face lighted up. “That’s great! We’ll talk about it, now that we can. If you want to ride a horse it would be better to do so before winter comes and covers everything in snow.”

“Maybe sometime in the next couple of weeks? That would give me plenty of time to free up my agenda.”

“Awesome, we’ll keep in touch.”

“Could I also get one of those flowers?” She pointed at Honeymaren’s back. “The last one I bought from you, unfortunately, did not last very long.” She made a face.

“If you want something for your office may I suggest you bring a succulent? They don’t need much tending, only plenty of sun.” Honeymaren recommended.

“Oh, that would be great, thank you.”

Elsa picked up both, the bouquet and her new succulent, paid for them, and smiled at Honeymaren before turning and exiting the flower shop.

Then, Honeymaren turned around and let herself fall to the floor and hid her face between her hands. In an uncharacteristic move for her, Honeymaren giggled.

“I am so fucked.”

***

Elsa was thankful that her sister wasn’t in her office by the time she had dropped the present because she would instantly know something was up. She was really bad at hiding things from Anna. Also, the pot in her other hand was a dead giveaway.

But she hadn’t counted on Kai being contractually obligated to tell Anna everything, so when her sister barged into her room, she jumped out of her seat messing up the document she had been writing. “Anna!” She scolded.

But her sister was having none of it. “Oh, don’t you ‘Anna’ me, I know you’re hiding something.”

Elsa backed up. “I’m not… What are you… Me hiding? You’re hiding something!”

Anna shook her head, looking disappointedly at her. “See? This is why you’re so bad at charades. We said no secrets. Spill.”

Elsa deflated like a balloon. “The florist might have asked me on a date not-date?”

Anna shrieked, thrilled. “That is so good! But oh, no, what happens with dog-lady? Nevermind, this is so great! I’m so proud of you!” She went around the table and hugged her sister.

“Anna, I can’t breathe.”

“Yeah, sorry, sorry. But this is amazing news! You’ve liked her for what, two months?”

“I cannot answer that.”

“True, we both know it was longer. But wait, how did this happen, I thought you decided to be ‘friends’ with Maren.” She quoted her words.

“Huh?”

“Maren the dog-lady? And now you’re going out with that other girl, Honey. Wait, how did she ask you out? Wait, what do you mean with a ‘date not-date’? Oh, and cute new plant, is that one of hers?” Anna’s thoughts were moving too fast in her head even for her.

“She offered a walk through the forest, but she didn’t exactly say the word ‘date’, so I don’t know what that means. She kind of tried to backtrack on the offer too. And I bought the succulent from her, yes.”

Anna raised an eyebrow. “Okay, so the backtracking… were you taking too long to answer?”

“…Maybe?”

Anna nodded to herself and took the liberty to take a blank piece of paper from Elsa’s desk along with a pen to start writing on it.

“What are you doing?” Elsa asked sceptically.

“Nothing, just the same thing I did for your other woman, writing up facts about her. Although, I must say that this one is above the other on my list because she at least had the courage to ask you out. After who knows how many months, but yeah.”

“So, she did ask me out?”

Anna sighed. “I sometimes wonder how you figured out you liked women.”

Elsa had been watching her sister write, but after those words, her eyes lowered and she slumped down, making herself smaller. Anna had uttered the words without paying attention, but after not receiving a response from her sister she looked up at Elsa holding onto herself.

“Elsa…” She reached over but Elsa put up a hand.

“No, no, it’s okay… You’re right.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay, Anna,” Elsa said a little too sharp. “I know you didn’t mean it that way.” She added softly.

“I’m sorry again.”

The sisters fell into silence.

“We haven’t decided on a date yet,” Elsa said in a low voice.

Anna tried a smile. “Just so you know, your boss has already given you a sick day on that day.”

“Thank you, Anna.” Elsa reached over and put a hand over her sister’s.

“We are having a sister’s day after your date with the flower girl.”

“Of course, I’ll tell you everything about it.”

“Good, now tell me more about her.” Anna was holding the pen expectantly.

“She’s really passionate about plants and she always knows the meaning of them; she’s been explaining them to me when I go pick up your bouquet. She has a little brother that works in an animal shelter up in Northuldra.”

“Oh, what a coincidence! Maren has also a brother that works there.” She wrote something down.

Elsa panicked, she had spoken without thinking. “Oh, ha, ha, ha. Yes, what a coincidence, they must work together.” She winced, but Anna didn’t see it, being too busy writing.

“I’m gonna write down that she’s good with animals, but I need you to confirm that for me after your date.”

“Sure, I will.”

“Perfect.” Anna got up. “Now I will hang onto this piece of paper and put it with the other and we’ll soon have more info about them. Love you, sis!”

After Anna had exited and closed the door behind her, Elsa buried her face in her arms. How long would take her sister to realise she was keeping two lists about the same person? Long, Elsa hoped. 

Getting on with her day, Elsa managed to rewrite the document she had spoiled and endured two back to back meetings with investors and management. By the time she got home, she was tired and ready to call it a day.

Preparing herself a cup of tea, she managed to catch Honeymaren exiting the shop and closing it down, but instead of getting into her car, the puppy and her went down the street, probably to the park.

Elsa debated between casually going to the park herself and bumping into them ‘by accident’, but without a dog, she was without excuse, so she resigned herself to an afternoon of watching TV.

****

“Keep bumping into me like this and I’ll just have to wait for you down here.”

Honeymaren was smiling at Elsa as she exited her building door. “Funny finding you out here. Maybe we should meet here instead of the park as it is in both our paths.”

“I like the sound of that.” They started walking.

Friday was gloomy, an indication that autumn was upon them and that it would soon start to rain. Honeymaren was wearing a brown overcoat, but Elsa only had a thin blue raincoat over a white pullover. Honeymaren had, as always, her beanie on.

They arrived at the park and let the dogs free as they had done the previous time.

“How was your week?” Honeymaren asked while they searched for a bench to sit on.

“It was longer than I’d have liked. It started with meetings and it ended with meetings. Now that it’s almost time for holidays people always get uneasy.”

The two women sat down. “Aren’t the holidays like two months away?” Honeymaren put her hands in the pockets of her coat trying to find warmth. It wasn’t that she got cold easy, only when she was still.

“Indeed, but there are many things to plan. There’s the end of the year budget meeting, the last quarter meeting, management, the end of the year party to plan… Many things, as you can see.” Elsa counted with her fingers the things she was listing and then she put her hands on her lap.

Honeymaren blinked. “Wow, that’s a lot of things. I’m glad that I’m self-employed and don’t have to worry about that. Well, the budget part of the business is still at Yelana’s hands, but she only double-checks my calculations.”

“Thankfully Anna and I know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, so we divide the workload accordingly; she manages to sweet talk whomever she has to and leaves to me the organising and planning. I’ve never really been good at talking to people.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.

Honeymaren smirked. “You’re doing pretty good for me.”

The elkhound was getting bigger and bigger each time Elsa saw her, but Honeymaren had still not given her a name. As she told the platinum-haired girl, Ryder had been reviewing families that wanted to adopt a dog, not only the ones that wanted to adopt an elkhound, and that soon the puppy was going to go back to the shelter. As much as Honeymaren wanted to keep the dog, deep down she knew she couldn’t.

“Given any thoughts to adopting this dog?” Honeymaren asked as they were strolling back home.

Elsa chuckled. “I really shouldn’t. I fear she might get lonely when I have to go to work.”

“All dogs are resilient, and she can be trained to be alone for a period of time. I understand the hesitance, now that she’s so little it might be daunting, but as long as you care for her and take care of her, you’ll be fine.”

“Funny, my sister said the same,” Elsa said smiling.

After a couple of minutes, they arrived at Elsa’s building just as the sun was going down. “I guess this is me.”

“I guess it is. Thanks again for doing this for me,” Honeymaren said.

Elsa smiled. “I enjoy it.”

With a last smile, Elsa got into her apartment.

***

Three weeks had passed by and autumn was well underway, Elsa and Honeymaren’s friendship had blossomed under grey skies and afternoons together. Anna was still bugging Elsa because of course, she would, but, fortunately, she still thought that ‘Honey’ and ‘Maren’ were two different women. Which was surprising, because Elsa had never managed to withhold something like this from her sister, ever.

Good news was, Elsa and Honeymaren had started talking more on the phone.

_5 NOVEMBER 2019_

_**Honeymaren:** Look at this beauty!  
[1 element attached]_

_**Elsa:** Is that the plant you were  
talking about the other day?_

_**Honeymaren:** It is! It finally blossomed_

_**Elsa:** I’ve never seen an autumn  
plant like that_

__________

_7 NOVEMBER 2019_

_**Elsa:** This one is still alive! :D_

_**Honeymaren:** Great job!  
I’ll upgrade you to taking care of another  
plant soon! ^^_

**_Elsa:_ ** _I think taking care of anything  
Different from a succulent might be  
beyond my abilities_

__

__

_**Honeymaren:** Nonsense! You’ll see!_

__________

_10 NOVEMBER 2019_

_**Elsa:** These two were missing  
their friend  
[2 elements attached]_

_**Honeymaren:** Aw, they look so cute!  
Honeymaren: This one says hi with her siblings  
[1 element attached]_

_**Elsa:** Her siblings are really cute,  
but I might be biased for  
one of them :)_

__________

_YESTERDAY_

_**Honeymaren:** The weather this weekend is  
supposed to be the last good one before  
the rains come :)_

_**Elsa:** I’ll talk to my boss, but I  
think I can make it work_

_**Honeymaren:** Hahaha  
**Honeymaren:** I think your sister might  
let you skive off this time_

_**Elsa:** Probably :)_  
_**Elsa:** I will confirm  
either way tomorrow_

_**Honeymaren:** Perfect! :D_

Elsa stared at the lines of texts sent the day before and bit her lip. Drumming her fingers against the desk in a rhythmical pattern she debated between telling Anna or not, it was not like she needed permission to take a day off, but still.

Decision made, she got up and took some unnecessary papers into her hands as though they could act as a shield against her sister’s enthusiasm.

Anna’s secretary was typing away on his computer when she got there. “Kai? Is my sister free?”

He raised his eyes at her. “I believe she told me to ‘not let anyone interrupt this very, very, very important and serious work call that I really have to take’.” He made a dramatic pause. “She is talking to Kristoff.” He motioned to enter.

Elsa smiled and nodded at him. “Thank you very much, Kai.”

She knocked gently on the door to warn about her entry, but, knowing she was on a call with Kristoff, she didn’t wait for her to allow her in.

Anna had her feet on the table and was chatting away at the phone without realising her sister had entered. When the door closed behind Elsa, the noise alerted the redhead and she looked like a deer caught in headlights.

She sat properly and put on her most fake professional voice. “Yes, Mr… Croll, it is indeed a very important thing. Of course,… that thing… yes, the thing. I will call you on a further date to compromise about the thing. You too, Mr Croll.”

Elsa smirked and shook her head. She took a seat in front of her sister, leaving the papers in front of her.

Anna poised herself and joined her hands. “So… what’s up?”

“You don’t have to pretend, Anna, I know you were talking to Kristoff.”

“Oh, thank god.” She huffed. “I thought you were Ms Isle, but when I saw you, I had already started with that story and I just couldn’t stop.”

Elsa laughed. “I could see that, but you have to work on your ‘I have been busted’ voice and looks. If you didn’t have your feet on the table when I got in, it probably wouldn’t have been so noticeable.”

“Your insight is taken into careful consideration. Is that what you did when you were in charge? Put on a professional voice when you were doing something not so professional?”

Elsa grimaced a little. “I didn’t have many people to talk to, but it’s something I did when I was asked a question but hadn’t been paying attention to what they were saying.”

“Cool, cool, cool. So, what do you want? Is it a work thing?” She gestured to the papers Elsa had left on the table.

“No, no, it’s not about that.” She fidgeted with her hands. “Do you remember some weeks ago that I said I was going to go on a forest walk?”

Anna nodded. “Yeah, with Honey.”

“Ha, ha… Yes, with her. So, you know the weather’s getting kinda bleak because winter is coming and all that…”

“Uh-huh…” Anna was reaching slowly towards one of her drawers where she kept the list about the two women and took the correct one out without looking. She readied a pen.

“…and because of that, it may be the last time the day is clear enough to be good for a walk…”

“Keep going…” She made some notes, but her eyes were on her sister.

“…so, this Saturday I am not going to be able to come to the office.” Elsa finished.

“YES!” Anna all but fist-bumped into the air. “Finally! I’ve been waiting for so long for this! It was about time the two of you went on that date you planned.”

Elsa smiled exhaling the air on her lungs and tucked a strand of hair. “So, you’re not mad, right?”

“Are you crazy? I’m ecstatic!”

“Good, that’s good. Oh, and I won’t need Sven and Olaf this Friday.” As they were going to meet on Saturday, both thought it was better to leave the training for Honeymaren to do on the shelter’s grounds, as it was soon going to become the puppy’s home.

Anna seemed to deflate at that. “Oh? You’re not meeting Maren this week?”

And Elsa kept forgetting that Anna did not know that these two women were the same person. “Yeah… Not this week. Something about the flu going around and… she caught it! Yes, that’s it, she caught the flu so we can’t meet this week.”

“Well, that’s a boomer. Oh, wait, how possible do you think it is for you to meet Maren’s brother too?”

“Huh?”

“Here it is.” She picked up both sheets of paper and read them out loud starting with ‘Maren’s’. “’Has a brother working in a shelter.’ ‘Has little brother helping out in a shelter.’ Do you think one of them works under the other? Oh! Do you think both brothers might recognise you because their sisters have talked about you, but the one that doesn’t have his sister on a date with you is gonna rat you out to his sister?”

“Uh…”

But Anna had gone off on a tangent. “And by ‘the sister’, I mean dog-lady Maren, because you’ll be with Honey, and that may be… Oh! Wait! Do you think Honey’s brother has talked to Maren’s brother already about his sister having a date with a woman, which is you by the way,” she pointed at Elsa, “so he describes you and Maren’s brother recognises you from what his sister has told him, so he tells Maren that you are going on a date with Honey and that is why she’s cancelled on you and not because she’s sick!” Anna finished with a proud smile.

“Wait… what?” Elsa was very confused.

“Don’t worry, if Maren is afraid of a little bit of competition then she’s not worth your time.” Anna patted her sister’s arm.

“Alright.” Elsa was unsure of what to say.

“Oh, and about Saturday, sure, you can take the day off, only, we’ll be having a nice long talk on Sunday about your day.”

Elsa smiled. “I expected nothing less.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is that... Is that a date on the next chapter???  
> (I know it says 2019 and yes, I had planned for this to show (a little of) their lives in 2020 as well, but for obvious reasons it won't follow irl's timeline xD)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, beta-readed by [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen)^^
> 
> Thank you for your kudos and comments!

Elsa was watching the streetlights turn off one by one as the night gave way to the slowly creeping tendrils of the sun. Sipping on her coffee, she knew today Honeymaren’s shop would not be opened by her, as the person who was relegated to the task got off his car and neared the shop.

Today was Saturday at last, and Elsa was dressed in comfortable pants and a soft white parka with grey ornaments on the sleeves and on the lower part. She swept her hair in a loose braid over her left shoulder, as she usually did, and the unruly strand of hair fell to her face. She looked at her phone.

_YESTERDAY_

_**Elsa:** Hey! Should I bring  
something for tomorrow?_

_**Honeymaren:** As long as you bring yourself  
everything will be alright :)_

_**Elsa:** I was thinking more in  
the sense of food  
I don’t know how long we’re  
gonna be out, but just in case?_

_**Honeymaren:** Nah, I’ve got that covered  
Yelana has told me she’s gonna make us  
something  
Didn’t let me get a word in about me  
taking care of that, so don’t worry_

_**Elsa:** Okay, then, see you tomorrow :)_

_**Honeymaren:** See you soon! :D_

Elsa smiled softly and, after finishing the coffee, she put the empty cup in the kitchen sink to rinse it. The previous day she had prepared a bag with extra clothes just in case, a water bottle, some energy bars, and a torch. The bag wasn’t really big and none of the contents took up much space, so it was still light to carry around.

Putting on her most outdoorsy, but not that fancy, coat, Elsa took the bag and exited her apartment, locking it behind her.

She got into her Audi and turned on the GPS. Honeymaren had given her the address to her brother’s shelter, so that they could meet directly there, and she introduced it, seeing she had like an hour and a quarter of road-trip.

Music on, destination set, Elsa set off to Northuldra, excited about what the day had in store.

****

“Ow! Okay, could you please try not to kill me? Thanks,” Ryder told her sister.

“You shut up, I didn’t even hit you,” Honeymaren retorted.

“Did so.”

“Did not.”

“Children.” Utsi’s commanding voice stopped Ryder from continuing the chatter.

The siblings spoke at the same time:

“She started it.”

“He did it.”

They narrowed their eyes at one another.

“As much as I like the both of you cleaning, may I ask what brought this up?”

Ryder beat Honeymaren to it. “Honeymaren’s girlfriend is coming to visit. OW!” Ryder rubbed the side of his arm where her sister had jabbed him.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” She emphasised. “She’s just a friend, Utsi. We’re going to take some horses up the Enchanted Forest, to the mountain.”

Utsi sighed. “Be sure to take the docile ones that are on the far corner of the stables. We had to separate them from the beast that came the other day.”

Ryder sobered. “Oh, yeah, how’s that going?”

“Not good,” Utsi admitted. “We had to leave her to roam the horse field to try and calm her down, but she won’t let anyone come near.”

“What are you going to do with her?” Honeymaren asked.

“Emel has to take a look at her, we know nothing is wrong and she seems to be on prime health, but it is still required. If we do not manage to tame her, we’ll have to call a more specialised site to take her away.” Utsi shook her head. 

Ryder pouted. “I don’t want her to go away, I feel like this would be the perfect place for her.”

“I know,” Utsi nodded. “That’s why we’re trying to come up with a plan that will help her get adjusted to this life. Spirits know what the poor thing had to suffer to be how she is.” Utsi went to the backside of the room and took something. “Now, I believe you two were cleaning?”

Honeymaren looked at the clock and her eyes bulged at the time. She ran to the other side of the room and started sweeping the floor while Ryder laughed at her. “If you don’t help me, Ryder, I swear to the spirits that I’ll open Gale’s cage and leave you alone to deal with her.”

Her brother’s grin disappeared at that threat, and he started cleaning the place too.

Ten minutes before the woman was supposed to arrive, Honeymaren and Ryder had finished, the place was as clean as it could be with animals living inside. Honeymaren went to check on the dog she was more than probably going to adopt, while Ryder went to the front with Norá, who was tending the reception desk.

Ryder was checking on some newcomer’s papers when he heard a car’s engine stop on the other side of the road.

“Wow,” Norá said leaning forward on the high desk and whistling. “Sweet ride, whose is it?”

“A rich person’s, that’s for sure.” He had no idea either.

A young woman got off. She wasn’t wearing a lot of warm clothes, he could tell from the distance, but what most caught his attention was the long, almost white, blonde hair she had tied in a braid. The woman, after locking her car with a beep, headed for the entrance.

The bell chimed above her head as she entered, and she looked to the sides as if searching for someone. With his easy and friendly smile, Ryder approached. “Hi, welcome to Northuldra Shelter! What can I do for you today?”

The woman’s voice was soft and velvety when she spoke. “I am looking for Honeymaren?”

Ryder blinked. Could this be the woman her sister was going on a date with? “May I ask what for?” He didn’t want to pry, but he did want to make sure.

The woman’s blue eyes turned to him, staring almost coldly, but mostly with prudence. “No.” Was all she said.

“Elsa!” The voice of her sister carried from the other door.

Ryder could see the change on this woman, Elsa, instantly. Where she had looked at Ryder with frostiness, her eyes were now full of mirth, and where her face had been a blank page, Ryder could see the nervousness in the way her mouth twitched to a small smirk.

“Honeymaren.” She nodded at his sister.

Honeymaren had been smiling when she saw Elsa, but now that she realised how close her brother was to her, furrowed her brow. “Is everything okay? Is my brother bothering you?”

Ryder opened his mouth, offended, but it was the other woman who answered.

“No, no, no,” she said rapidly in a placating voice. She then turned to him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you were Honeymaren’s brother. I’m Elsa, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Honeymaren has talked a lot about you.”

The woman had extended a hand to him and Ryder shook it, not holding it for long because even though the girl had tried, he could tell she was uncomfortable with touch by the way her left eye crinkled a little.

He gave her a friendly smile. “The pleasure’s mine. I’m Ryder, I help out here most days.”

The three of them fell into an uncomfortable silence, mostly due to Ryder, to whom Honeymaren was trying to convey that he should get the heck out of there, but he was standing with a smug smile at the situation they were in.

Thankfully, the spirits listened to Honeymaren, because the next thing that happened was that Norá came back. “Um… Ryder? Gale escaped again.”

The boy let out a strangled pained sound. “Again? I just checked on her!” He followed Norá to the back, where they kept the smaller animals, and closed the door behind him, so that the ferret wouldn’t escape.

That left Elsa and Honeymaren alone, at last.

“Hey,” Elsa said nervously.

“Hi,” Honeymaren answered.

Elsa was a nervous wreck, which thankfully did not show on the outside. She had arrived at Northuldra just fine, taking in the scenery she never knew existed, and finding the shelter had not been a difficult task.

But then she had to go and mess things up with her crush’s brother by being rude to him. In her defence, she didn’t know he was Honeymaren’s brother; which, alright, she could have guessed as he had approached her in a friendly manner and there didn’t seem to be many people working at that time.

But new people always made her anxious and retreat to those times where she had to carry the weight of the company on her shoulders in meetings, business parties, and such, so she had been a little cold, yeah.

Honeymaren stepped towards her. “I hope the trip up here was good?”

Elsa snapped from her thoughts. “Yeah, yeah, I had no problems getting here, your directions were precise.”

“I’m glad. Shall I show you around? There is someone that has missed you these past days,” she added in a way to crumble Elsa’s doubts.

Elsa’s muscles relaxed. “I would love to see her.” She grabbed tightly onto her backpack’s strap and followed Honeymaren through the door her brother had gone through earlier. 

Honeymaren showed her around as they crossed the different sites. “This is the main area people see when they want to adopt a pet, along with the backyard where we sometimes keep the dogs so they can play.”

The room they had passed had rows of cubicles with tags that contained a little description of the dog that lived inside. All of them had tags but maybe only half of them had animals inside, they were probably on the backyard as Honeymaren had said.

They passed Norá, who was searching the cages looking for something.

“Back here,” she explained as they went through another door to a corridor, “are different rooms that house animals that are not dogs or cats, animals that families would not usually adopt.”

“So, what escaped?” Asked Elsa as they neared the back. A door to the right lead to the washing area, but Honeymaren and Elsa went to the left.

“There is this ferret, Gale, she was left by the front door by a family, we don’t know who, as she was on a pet carrier with only a note explaining the situation. She’s quite playful but very mischievous. She usually brings a headache to all of us because she always manages to escape from her cage no matter how many times we lock it up or how many locks we put on it.”

“Does she scape between the bars?” Elsa asked curiously.

Honeymaren laughed a little, while she opened another door. This one led to a changing room. “That’s the thing, we keep her in a cage with a hard plastic door with holes, and her body is not small enough to fit through them. We have no idea how she does it.”

Elsa put down her backpack on the bench and watched Honeymaren. She took a small backpack from one of the lockers and put it next to Elsa’s.

“Oh, shoot.” She swore before she could check it. “Could you wait here for a minute? I’ll take us to the horses in a second, but I forgot something in my car.” Honeymaren had an apologetic expression.

Elsa smiled. “It’s okay, I’ll wait here.”

“I won’t be long, I promise.” And Honeymaren left in a hurry the same way they had come.

Elsa sat down on the bench, pensive. She hoped she hadn’t messed things up with Honeymaren’s brother, Ryder. She supposed she could apologise for her behaviour next time she saw him; she didn’t want to be remembered as a jerk.

Something caught Elsa’s eye, something that moved inside of Honeymaren’s pack.

“What the…” Elsa moved her hands as if to open it, but she remembered it was not hers.

But it was clear whatever was inside didn’t need help because the zipper of the backpack started going down little by little.

A furry head appeared from the hole and looked at Elsa.

“Hey… there, friend.” Elsa was very confused.

The furry thing got out of Honeymaren’s pack, carrying a sock in its mouth and started running wild over the room. Elsa, finally figuring out it must be the animal Ryder and the other woman were looking for, gave chase to her, but the thing moved too fast over the lockers and under benches.

At last, Elsa cornered the ferret on one corner of the room, away from lockers and benches. The animal was backing up, but her body soon touched the walls.

Elsa knelt down and offered her hand. “Hey little one, it’s okay.”

But the animal wasn’t that sure and leapt into Elsa’s face, making the woman fall down. The ferret circled Elsa’s neck and arms and went off.

“No! Come back here!” Elsa went after the thing, but, every time Elsa seemed to catch up, the ferret moved away just in time.

Pausing, Elsa smirked as she realised what the ferret was doing. “You know, Gale, if you wanted me to play with you, you only had to ask.”

The ferret raised her head, looking at Elsa and let out a happy squeak. Elsa offered once again her arm and, this time, the ferret did go to her, climbing her arm and setting down on her neck. Elsa smiled softly as she petted the ferret’s head.

“I’m really sorry about all this delay, I promise that-” the door had opened suddenly and Honeymaren came in, but stopped dead on her tracks at seeing Elsa and Gale as if they were the best of friends.

“Hey, Honeymaren, I think I found Gale.” She informed the woman with a smile. Gale was rubbing against Elsa’s neck.

“I… can see that? But how?” Honeymaren was beyond confused. She had crossed paths with Ryder while coming back and he was about to do a second sweep to find her.

Elsa shrugged. “She scared me at first, but it turns out Gale loves playing hide and seek, that’s why she acts out. She also took one of your socks.” She tapped on the ferret’s nose.

“Sure…” Honeymaren crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her. “But you do realise she has to go back to her cage now, right?”

The ferret on Elsa’s care made a sound like she was complaining.

“Why?” Said instead the human that was holding her.

Honeymaren blinked. “Because you and I were going to go on a dat… day-walk! With the horses?” Honeymaren sucked in her breath, hoping Elsa hadn’t caught on what she nearly said.

Elsa’s shoulders slumped a little. “It is true, we were.” She took the ferret in her arms and put her on eye level. “Do you think it would be agreeable that I let you go back to your cage and, if you behave, I’ll be back to say goodbye before I leave?” Gale tilted her head and made a sound. “Sure, and I’ll come back more times to play with you, but you have to behave.” She put emphasis on the last word.

Gale climbed on Elsa’s arm, went over her neck and ended up on her other arm. They had reached an agreement. Elsa walked to Honeymaren and offered the ferret to her.

Honeymaren looked at Gale in the eyes. “Are you going to behave for me now?” She asked.

Gale looked back at Elsa and then to Honeymaren. Then, she jumped onto Honeymaren and climbed to her neck, taking her braids in her mouth and giving them a shake until finally settling down on top of her head.

Elsa giggled at the sight. “Do behave for me, Gale.”

The ferret chirped. “I’m just going to put her in her cage and tell Ryder, I’ll be back.”

Honeymaren turned once more to exit the changing room. Elsa could hear her talk to the animal, but she couldn’t decipher what was being said.

Honeymaren was back sooner than Elsa expected. “I found Norá on my way, Ryder was about to look in the streets for the little Houdini. I gave Gale to her, but told her you wouldn’t come back if she didn’t behave for the rest of the day.” She shrugged. “I don’t know whether she understood, but I guess we’ll find out when we come back.”

Honeymaren took out some clothes from the backpack Gale had been hiding in and she turned to Elsa. “I have some riding pants if you need them.” She looked at Elsa’s lower body, but saw that she was wearing some blue riding pants and boots. Honeymaren chuckled. “Okay, nevermind. I’m just gonna… Yeah, change.” She rounded one of the locker rows and changed into better clothes for the day.

“These are my old riding pants,” Elsa explained when Honeymaren came back.

“Oh, so you know how to ride? That’s gonna make things easier.” The brunette smiled at Elsa.

Elsa played with the tail of her braid. “Yeah, you could say I know how to ride, my sister and I used to go with our parents when we were little.” She smiled sadly at the memories and Honeymaren decided not to push for more.

Honeymaren led both of them to the outside part of the shelter. It was definitely bigger than Elsa had anticipated and it was well furnished, only a few things looked like they could use a change even if they worked.

It looked like the field was divided into two big spaces; one was directly behind the shelter, divided into zones, and there were dogs running there. The second, and their destination, was a little further to the left, with stables near it. That field was oval, and it looked like there were people in there, as well as a horse.

But they first stopped at the dogs’ field to greet the elkhound Elsa had grown to love, who greeted her with happy yaps and lots of kisses.

Letting her go, Elsa watched her go to other puppies that clearly belonged to her litter. “Are those her siblings?” She asked Honeymaren.

“Some of them, yes. There are others inside, but those tend to bully the little one, so we have to keep them separated.”

They continued onward to the two people that were watching the horse gallop through the field. It sometimes came near the two and whinnied and stomped its feet, trying to scare them off, before running off again.

Honeymaren greeted the pair. “Utsi, Emel, this is Elsa.”

The two people turned to Elsa and she shook hands with them.

“How’s she doing?” Honeymaren asked, looking at the horse.

Utsi sighed defeated. “We managed to put reins on her, but she almost bit Emel’s hand. We’re just trying to tire her out to put her with the others, but she won’t let us.”

“What happened to her?” Elsa asked, worried. The horse, a mare, had a beautiful white coat with darker hair.

“We found her roaming the forest, badly injured,” Emel explained. “We healed her, but when she realised where she was, she rebelled. Nevertheless, she has the signs that tell she was a domesticated creature.”

Elsa felt some kind of kinship with the creature pacing the field. Being abandoned, hurt, and left to find its own way was something Elsa understood deeply. The horse looked at the group from a distance, fixing her gaze on Elsa. The mare neighed and charged at the group and reared so near them that the three of them stepped back. Not Elsa, though.

The horse walked around, nickering and stomping her front legs, trying to intimidate Elsa, but Elsa had grown up around horses and she knew this horse was fighting to establish dominance.

Brow furrowed, Elsa jumped over the wooden fence and ran towards the mare, took the reins in her hands and hopped on.

“NO!” She heard behind her, but she didn’t pay attention.

The horse, realising she had been mounted, was now running wild, trying to get Elsa off her, but Elsa fought against her, trying to calm her down using the reins and her legs. The horse reared, but Elsa leaned forward not to fall, changing into the proper position when the horse ran again.

She didn’t know how much time passed, but finally, the mare started calming down; from wild running to stomping her feet to shaking her head to the sides.

Elsa directed the mare slowly around the field, trying to get the horse used to her and her directions. She commanded the horse to gallop and they crossed the field from one side to the other faster than Elsa had ever gone in a horse. She smiled, thrill running in her veins, and she stroked the horse’s neck and head. “You are magnificent.” She told the beast.

The horse snorted and shook her head, and Elsa manoeuvred her to walk up to where the group was, which now also had Ryder and Norá with them.

The main expression of the people of the group was a mixture of awe, confusion, and a general ‘what the fuck’. Honeymaren was perched on the first step of the fence, almost as if she had tried to go after Elsa.

“Are you okay?” Honeymaren asked, or demanded, Elsa was not sure, when she shook herself from the stupor.

Elsa nodded. “Yes, we’re okay.”

Ryder had his mouth opened. “Okay, can someone explain to me what. Was. That.” His eyes went from one person to another, but no one seemed to have an answer.

“That was incredibly reckless, Elsa!” Honeymaren scolded. “She could’ve trampled you over!”

“But she didn’t!” Elsa defended herself turning red. “She’s stoic, but she understands now. She’s okay.” She patted the horse again.

Utsi spoke. “I… have never seen anything like that. Did you just tame her?”

Elsa got off the horse taking the reins in a loose hold. “She’s a fierce, wild spirit, but yes, she will play nicely from now on, won’t you?” She petted the nose of the mare, who lowered her head in respect and neighed.

“Could you… Maybe take her to the stables? I just need to check her over very fast, I’ll leave her alone after that.” Emel took his eyes off the horse only to look at Elsa. He still didn’t believe what had happened.

Elsa nodded and Emel pointed to the entrance of the fenced field, to where Elsa had to take the horse and the group moved there.

“So… can we keep her?” She heard Ryder tell her sister and then she heard a pained sound from the boy. Elsa smiled, lowering her head, but she didn’t turn around.

She led the horse to where Emel had told her and faced the mare, petting her so she would calm down.

Honeymaren got to her side. “So that thing about knowing a little about horses… that was a lie, right? You know more than just a little.”

Elsa smiled. “I’ve always loved riding. These past years I haven’t been able to or found a place, but when I was younger, we used to go every weekend and just… They were happier times.”

Emel finished whatever he had been checking. “Everything’s perfect. Could you help us and move her to the barn?”

Elsa hesitated and looked at Honeymaren. “Could I ride her for today?”

Honeymaren looked into Elsa’s eyes, so full of innocence and pleading and she found herself hesitating too. “I don’t know… what if she escapes? I don’t want her to get hurt again.”

“She won’t, I promise.”

Honeymaren went to pet the horse, but she snorted as if to warn her not to do anything stupid, although she let Honeymaren pet her. She sighed defeated. “It’s not my place, but if Ryder says yes then yes, we can take her.”

Elsa’s face illuminated and she clapped her hands. “Thank you so much!” 

She turned to her brother, who was watching the exchange with curious eyes. At Elsa’s hopeful look, he also sighed, defeated. “After what I just saw I believe you can keep her under control. But please do not lose her; now that she can be tamed, we’ll be looking for a place for her.”

“She can be mine,” Elsa said a little too quickly.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Ryder blinked puzzled. “Oookay then! It’s settled. I’ll draw the paperwork for you to sign. Do you have your own place, or would you like for her to stay here?”

Honeymaren intervened and pushed Ryder towards the exit. “Yes, yes, I’m sure you can have all that done by the time we come back and you can ask her all and any questions later. Right?”

He saw the look her sister was giving him and laughed awkwardly. “You’re right! I can do that later. Now I’ll take my leave. Now. Until later. Enjoy your time!” He left with a final wave and a wink at Honeymaren’s direction.

Honeymaren sighed at turned to Elsa.

“Just one last question!” Ryder’s head popped once more. “Any ideas for a name?”

Elsa looked into the eyes of her new horse and smiled. She turned to Ryder. “Nokk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was part 1 of the date! Next week is part 2 ^^


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't start another chapter without thanking [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) for her work as my beta-reader ^^
> 
> And thank you too, reader. Enjoy!

They saddled up the horses with Norá’s help to get it done faster and, after mounting the horses, Honeymaren took them to the back of the field where the exit to the forest was.

The closer they got to that exit, the more trees there were, as if the fenced field melded right into the forest. Honeymaren got off her horse to open the gate and Elsa went in first, taking the reins of Honeymaren’s horse to take him over. Honeymaren locked it behind her and climbed up the horse.

There was little word exchange between them as Honeymaren led through the forest, at most, the Northuldran woman explained different parts of the forest, pointed out some animals, and excitedly talked about flowers when they spotted them.

To Honeymaren’s surprise, the horse that brought so many headaches to Utsi and Emel was completely docile under Elsa. “How did you do that?” She asked as they went up a hill.

Elsa petted Nokk’s neck. “It’s going to sound weird, but I felt a connection with her.” She didn’t dare look at Honeymaren and risk seeing her mocking face.

But Honeymaren just nodded. “It’s not weird, I know what you mean. Northuldrans have always been very connected to Earth and animals. There’s a reason we have a shelter that big; everyone has volunteered, when they were young at least, and we always chip in when it needs new stuff.”

“The whole village?”

“Yes. Nature is a very big part of our culture. I was actually on my way to graduate in Botany.”

“May I ask what happened?”

Honeymaren hesitated as they crossed a stream. They let the horses stop to take a drink, but didn’t dismount. “Yelana’s shop was about to close down and I had to take care of it.”

Her voice had an edge to it, so Elsa did not press the issue.

They went up another hill, and Honeymaren stopped her horse, with Elsa and Nokk passing over her a little. They had gone up enough that they were now looking down at the village, with the city on the distance, the tallest buildings covered by a small fog. Elsa could even see the sea far away, the morning sun shining on the water.

“Wow…” Elsa marvelled at the view.

“I know,” said Honeymaren. But she was looking at Elsa.

“The view is incredible.” Elsa turned to Honeymaren, who turned her head at the last second for Elsa not to see at what, or rather who, she had been looking.

“We caught a good day too, usually during this time the village is covered by fog and you can only see the treetops.” Honeymaren put her horse at the same height as Nokk and pointed.

“I’m glad you showed me this. Thank you, Honeymaren.” Elsa said sheepishly.

“My pleasure.” She commanded her horse to walk in front of Elsa’s. “Come with me, I know a place where we can rest.”

She made her horse trot and Elsa followed, laughing.

They went higher up the mountain to a natural alcove that was hidden between some rocks. It still had the view from earlier from a higher point but was sheltered from the wind. The sun was almost at its zenith, but the nearby trees and rocks gave them a comfortable shade to hide in. They tied the horses to a tree next to them and unsaddled them so they could get some rest. From one of the bags, Honeymaren retrieved a blanket that she laid on the floor and a bag full of food. Elsa helped Honeymaren move everything to where they were going to sit.

Honeymaren methodically took the things out of the bag, but Elsa could feel she had not completely shaken off the feeling from before. “I was in my first year of Architecture when I had to change degrees. I understand what it means to have to leave something you love.”

Honeymaren paused and looked briefly at Elsa and nodded, but said nothing. They both sat facing the view. Honeymaren was leaving the different dishes in the space between them. There were a lot of containers.

“I know, I know, Yelana went overboard with it, but she wouldn’t let me take any less,” Honeymaren spoke with a chuckle when she saw Elsa’s wide eyes.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to finish everything.” She wasn’t known for eating a lot, after all.

Honeymaren shrugged. “I’ll take the leftovers with me, or you can take some if you like them. There’s also food for the horses.” The last part she said with an influx in her voice at opening a container full of raw carrots.

The horses turned their head when Honeymaren mentioned them, and she got up to distribute some of the carrots as they had been gracing at the grass. She promised to give them some more after Elsa and she had eaten.

With the food in front of them, they dived in directly, self-serving the food into their plates. Elsa picked a little from everything, all the dishes had a spectacular look and she wanted to try everything. Honeymaren, on the other hand, knew what she liked best and filled up her plate with only two of the dishes.

“Most of the things are local.” Honeymaren explained the different dishes. There was a bit of everything: meat, pasta, salad, vegetables…

“And Yelana made all of this?” Even though most of the dishes didn’t look too difficult to make, there was a lot to have been made by a single person.

“I think so, yeah. Since she doesn’t have to go to the city that often, she spends most of her time in the kitchen or taking care of the young. Maybe she had them help her.” Honeymaren chuckled and Elsa chuckled with her.

They finished eating, half of the containers empty, and Honeymaren procured two apples from the bag, tossing one of them to Elsa and gave the horses another handful of carrots. To Honeymaren’s surprise, Nokk was behaving herself and it looked like she had become the leader of the two horses.

The apples were crispy and fresh.

“So, if you studied Architecture, I guess you like drawing?” Honeymaren asked, following the course of the previous conversation.

“I do, nothing too artistic, though,” Elsa answered. “Anna’s the one that has the wild imagination, I like the structure and geometry that comes with drawing buildings, and the math behind it too.”

“But you also need imagination for that. I don’t think I can draw anything more complex than one of those houses that consist of a square and a triangle.”

Elsa laughed. “You have a point. I spent a lot of my childhood designing buildings, it brought me a peace that nothing else could. Lines and the geometry of them… I could build my own escape, you know?”

Honeymaren smiled softly and nodded. “When I was younger, and Ryder and I used to live with Yelana, I always escaped from her backyard and went into the forest to climb trees. It used to drive Yelana crazy because we weren’t yet allowed to go there on our own.”

“You were a rowdy kid.”

Honeymaren chuckled. “I was, but it was so freeing, being able to get to the top of the trees and just sit there, taking in the view of acres and acres of treetops, watching the birds fly and perch near my branch. Of course, Ryder tried to copy me, but he’s never been that good at climbing and so, Yelana always caught us because Ryder couldn’t climb up.”

“Anna was the spontaneous one.” She lowered her head. “I’ve always had to be very strict, poised and collected. I remember following along Anna’s crazy stories about fighting ogres and monsters and giants, but I never knew how to start them.”

Honeymaren leaned back on her arms, legs stretched in front of her. “After seeing you jump headfirst to tame Nokk earlier, I’d say you are pretty spontaneous too.”

The corners of Elsa’s mouth lifted, but she didn’t fully smile. “As Anna would say, my restrictions to give in to my impulses sometimes break and, as a result, I do very crazy things. You had to see me one time Anna and I had a fall out and I designed an entire castle on the mountainside out of spite and helplessness.”

“A real castle?”

“It was more like a very big mansion.” Elsa smiled. “A castle would need a whole lot of other licenses, but with a mansion, there aren’t that many issues.”

“I’ll have to see those sketches sometime.”

“I have them in my office. I use them to threaten Anna with building it if she tries to send me to a meeting she’s supposed to attend.” Elsa chuckled and Honeymaren beamed at the sight. “In her early days as CEO, she was very nervous and would double-book herself so she could send me to one of those instead.”

The horses, or more specifically Nokk, neighed at them; they had spent a lot of time on top of the mountain and she was getting restless.

Honeymaren sighed. “I guess that’s our cue. Do you want to go down the other side of the mountain and circle back from the other side? There are some cool spots.”

“Will we have enough sunlight?” Elsa asked concerned.

“Just enough if we don’t waste time. There’s a flat road too where we can see who has the fastest horse.” She suggested hoping the competition would tip Elsa over.

The blonde pursed her lips and looked at her horse. “What do you think, Nokk? Do you think we could take on Honeymaren and her horse?”

Nokk neighed again and reared a little. Honeymaren took that as a yes and smirked. “Oh, it’s so on.”

They tidied the place up, distributing the things they had to take back with them between them so the race could be as fair as possible. The mood on their walk back was lighter, with the two women exchanging little jabs to hype them up.

They arrived at the place Honeymaren had described, and it indeed looked like there were two hundred meters of flat surface for the horses to gallop.

“Wait,” Honeymaren said navigating her horse so he would be perpendicular to Elsa’s. “Should we bet on anything?”

Nokk moved under Elsa, irritated about the delay. “What do you think is a good bet?”

“Let’s say the loser owes the other one a favour, no questions asked.”

Elsa raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

Honeymaren nodded and smirked. “Are you scared I’ll win? As long as it’s on the capabilities of the other person to do so. And as long as it’s nothing illegal or dangerous or potentially harmful.”

Elsa smiled. “Deal.”

They shook hands and situated themselves. At Honeymaren’s countdown, the horses shoot off from the starting line, galloping over the earth. They were neck to neck at first, but then there was a change in Elsa and Nokk, and the horse started to push harder, gaining ground, and leaving Honeymaren behind. In the end, Elsa and Nokk finished almost a second earlier than Honeymaren and her chosen horse.

Both women and horses were panting after almost half a minute of vigorous exercise and Elsa laughed carefreely. Honeymaren looked at her with a smile, loving how Elsa’s laugh sounded.

The blonde was praising her horse, petting her everywhere she could, and Nokk shook her head, happily accepting the love. “You were saying?” Elsa asked teasingly.

“Alright, alright,” she laughed, “you win fair and square. I thought I had brought the fastest horse with me but, clearly, I was mistaken. Anyway, it was a very good race.” She petted her own horse, not wanting him to feel left out.

“It was exhilarating, if we had more time, I’d love to go at it again.” 

“Unfortunately, the sun’s going down so we have just enough time to get back, but we can always come back.” She offered. Now that Nokk was Elsa’s, she had more reasons to come back.

“Definitely. I assume you want a rematch?” Elsa smirked feeling superior.

“Get off your high horse,” Honeymaren laughed and shook her head at Elsa. “But of course I want a rematch, you’re the first that has ever beaten me on a race; Ryder, as opposed to what his name may imply, is not that good of a rider, he’s never beaten me, no matter the horse. This is a new feeling! I love it!” 

They arrived back at the shelter as the sun started going down, with enough sunlight to unsaddle the horses and put everything in its place before the lights of the shelter came to life. Elsa said goodbye to Nokk by gently bumping their foreheads and Honeymaren and Elsa headed for the reception where Ryder probably was.

He was not, Norá informed them, he was on his office preparing Elsa’s adoption papers for Nokk as they had another admission a while after the two of them set off and this one was also a difficult one.

Honeymaren and Elsa walked to Ryder’s office, but, as Elsa had promised in the morning, they first went to pick up Gale from her cage. The ferret was patiently waiting, but when she saw Elsa come back, she started to run wild.

Opening the cage meant freedom and Gale started running around the room, jumping over things and evading Honeymaren’s attempts at catching her.

Elsa smirked at Gale’s cheekiness because the ferret was merely playing with Honeymaren. “Gale, come on.” She told the ferret.

Gale, who had been watching Honeymaren from atop a table, jumped to the brunette’s head and, from there, to Elsa’s outstretched arm.

“Seriously?” Questioned Honeymaren looking at the pair and putting on the beanie Gale had taken off.

Elsa giggled and shrugged, and Gale chirped.

Honeymaren pursed her lips in fake annoyance, but couldn’t hold her smile when, when she passed by Elsa to continue to Ryder’s office, Gale jumped onto her shoulders and nudged her head against her neck. “Okay, you are forgiven.”

They found Ryder slumped over his desk, papers on the table and looking at something on the computer with a pensive expression.

“Hey, Ry.” Honeymaren motioned to Elsa to sit on one of the chairs while she took the other. She petted Gale’s head.

Ryder smiled at the pair. “Hey, Ren.” He was the only one who got away calling her that. His eyes widened at the sight of the animal who had given him so many headaches casually lounging over his sister's shoulders. “How?!” He demanded.

Honeymaren shrugged. “Don’t ask me, she’s the one doing the magic.” She pointed with her thumb to Elsa who blinked surprised.

“Gale just wants to play.” She explained. The animal jumped to Elsa and the blonde petted her.

Ryder’s mouth opened wide. “I… how… I don’t understand and I’m not sure I want to… Are you going to adopt her too?”

Elsa blushed. “No, no, I can’t. My apartment is mostly empty, so she would get bored. Besides, I know she likes you, she just has her way of showing it.”

Ryder had his eyes squinted at Gale, who jumped to the table and climbed over him to set most of her body on his head. Ryder looked up and Gale squeaked. Ryder sighed and looked at Elsa again. “Please just tell her that escaping her cage is non-negotiable. If she can behave when she’s in, I’ll play with her.”

Elsa shook her head, her eyes going from Honeymaren to Ryder. “I don’t…”

But Ryder didn’t wait for a response and started looking through the papers on his table with the ferret on top of his head and Honeymaren just shrugged with her arms crossed when Elsa looked at her.

“Here I have all the paperwork I need you to sign.” Ryder passed her some papers and a pen. “I’ve signed my part already and you’ll get to keep a copy of everything. It just says you’ll be legally responsible for her and that any equipment you may need can be stored in here. Do you have any preference for the paying method?”

“I’ll set up monthly transfers.”

Ryder nodded and passed her a piece of paper with the shelter’s information.

Elsa skimmed through the documents, making sure she knew what she was signing. Not that she thought Ryder was doing something shady, but after years of reading nothing but paperwork and contracts it was like second nature for her. She signed them and gave half of them to Ryder.

Ryder took a folder and put the papers there, saving them in the filing cabinet behind him. “Well, then that’ll be all.” He interlaced his fingers. “You can, obviously, come here whenever you want and if you want to take Nokk for a ride, you’ll just have to sign on the front desk, just to know her comes and goes. If we have any issues, we’ll contact you.”

“Perfect. Thank you very much, Ryder,” she said sincerely.

“Thank you for getting her under control. I think if you hadn’t, Emel would’ve had to tranq her and that’s something none of us wanted.”

Ryder handed Elsa a plastic folder for the documents and the three of them stood up. Gale jumped to Elsa once again and Ryder led them to the front desk. He stood near Norá, who was sitting behind the desk, because he didn’t want to miss the interaction that was about to happen.

But knowing her brother, Honeymaren exited the shelter with Elsa, walking her to her car. It was dark enough that neither Ryder nor Norá could have a good view of them unless they came out of the shelter.

“I had fun today,” Elsa said leaning on her car. One of her arms was across her stomach and the other on Gale’s head.

“Me too, we should do it again sometime,” Honeymaren suggested. Her eyes were glued to the floor hoping that that and the darkness would not show she was blushing.

“I agree.”

“Maybe when the winter weather settles down, we can go out again?”

“Oh,” Elsa had expected something a little earlier. “That sounds good too, but will we still see each other on Fridays?” She didn’t want this to mean Honeymaren would want to stop their Friday dates. Yes, she was calling them dates, even if they spent more time looking after the dogs than getting to know each other.

Honeymaren smiled and locked eyes with Elsa’s. “And on Mondays too.” She winked.

Elsa blushed and let her head fall so Honeymaren wouldn’t see it and, in that moment, Gale decided she had had enough of being ignored and let out an annoyed squeak.

“Oh, sorry, she should get inside for dinner? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take her out to the street.” Elsa took Gale in her hands and passed her over to Honeymaren, who took her and put her around her neck. Gale just climbed on her head.

“Don’t worry, after working your magic on her, she seems to be behaving. Will you come to check on her to make sure?”

“I’ll try to come visit her and the others, if Ryder doesn’t mind.”

“He doesn’t,” _and neither do I_ , she thought.

“Good.”

“Good.”

The conversation seemed to stall once again, neither with anything else to say, but reluctant to say goodbye. Another squeak from Gale took them out of their trance.

“I’ll let you get back to the city, it’s getting pretty dark.” Honeymaren took a step back.

Elsa clicked a button of the remote of her car and it came to life. She opened the door. “Thank you for today,” she said again as she got in the driver’s seat.

“You are welcome,” Honeymaren winked at her and took another step back. She knew if she didn’t, she would do something crazy, like kiss her.

Honeymaren walked backwards to the shelter, keeping her eyes on Elsa’s retreating car, and once it was out of sight, she turned to open the shelter’s door.

Ryder’s smug smirk waited for her. He had his arms crossed, and it was clear Norá was also eating everything up, so, after a look, she ignored both of them and went to where Gale’s cage was.

“Oh, come on, I like her! I’ll beat it out of you if you don’t share what happened!” She heard her brother cry.

“Not a word, looser!” She yelled at her brother while petting Gale’s head. “I guess today she worked her magic on all of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're officially caught up to where my beta-reader has checked, so updates might be slow but they'll come.
> 
> As a treat for your patience I'll say this: one of those things some of you are waiting for? Well, it might happen sooner than you realise...


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After date day and.... one interesting conversation...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I didn't forget to upload this, I decided to wait a couple of days  
> Thanks again to [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) for her beta-reading

Elsa woke up with a smile on her face.

Not even texts from Anna, basically demanding she went to her house, could erase her happiness.

_**TheClumsyOne:** Get your butt over  
here, Kristoff’s making your  
favourite :)_

_**Elsa:** Your innocent facade  
doesn’t fool me. Be there in 30mins_

_**TheClumsyOne:** :D_

Elsa got ready and headed to her previous apartment in the city centre. Being a Sunday, the streets were mostly empty so she had no problem getting to Anna’s and parking in her usual spot.

Before she could even knock, the door opened to reveal a grinning Anna. Her sister hugged her tightly before releasing her and taking her in.

“What?” Elsa demanded, getting a little flustered under her sister’s eyes.

“Nothing,” Anna replied, still holding onto her with that grin of hers. “It looks good on you, that’s all.”

Elsa tilted her head. “What does?”

She regretted those words as soon as they exited her mouth because Anna’s smile morphed into a devilish one.

“Being in love.”

“Anna!” She went to swat at her sister, but she moved out of the way. “It’s so not that!”

Elsa chased Anna and her sister skipped to the kitchen, moving behind Kristoff in an attempt to hide from Elsa. “Uh, dear, not while I’m cooking, please?” He begged, moving the pan.

Anna moved to the living room and Elsa followed, giving a slight squeeze to Kristoff’s arm as a greeting when she passed by him. “Anna! Get back here.”

Anna giggled. “Come on, sis,” she patted the spot on the couch next to her. “Tell me everything about yesterday!”

Elsa sighed and sat next to Anna, who sat properly facing her, giving Elsa all her attention. “Only if you promise to behave.”

Anna nodded feverishly and Elsa retold what had happened the day before. At some point, Kristoff joined them, taking one of the chairs next to Elsa and listening intently. Elsa smiled inwardly, Kristoff had adopted the same expression Anna had, with his head resting on his fists and his arms on his knees.

“And we’re planning on going back when the winter weather relents.” Elsa ended.

Anna squeaked and then slumped back, eyes wide. “Okay, I can’t believe you adopted that horse on the spot.” Elsa might have left out the fact that she jumped onto Nokk’s back to get her under control.

“I felt a connection with her. And she proved to be an amazing horse.”

“I miss the times when we used to go horse riding. Do you think I could get my own horse and pay them to take care of it? We could have so many riding weekends.” Anna asked excitedly.

“I can ask, sure.”

“Oh, and Kristoff can come too, and we can take the dogs! We could have a picnic somewhere, maybe you can ask Honey where the cool spots are.”

“Dear, I think now it’s too cold to go out for a picnic,” Kristoff added gently.

“You’re right, but I can still have a horse,” Anna shrugged.

Fortunately, the two of them were distracted and couldn’t see Elsa’s eyes widen at the mention of ‘Honey’, one of the ‘two’ women she was seeing. Elsa cleared her throat. “Why don’t we eat? Everything is going to get cold otherwise.”

She got up without waiting for an answer and Kristoff and Anna looked at each other, the former shrugging and going with Elsa to the table. Anna wondered about the sudden change in her sister, and the gears in her brain started to turn. “Hey,” she asked sitting down next to her boyfriend. “You still think you didn’t go on a date?”

Elsa smiled sheepishly. “Pretty sure I did go on one.”

“Even though there was no kiss?” Kristoff egged on.

“Yes, Kristoff, even though there was no kiss or mention of the word ‘date’.”

“So can I add another point to Honey’s list?” Anna watched closely her sister’s face and could see Elsa swallow nervously.

“I still think those lists are useless, but sure, you can.”

Elsa tried to deliver her answer nonchalantly but Anna was very in tune to her sister’s mannerisms and Elsa’s posture was stiff and seemingly poised, but Anna had also seen that posture when Elsa had been CEO in a meeting with Weselton Corp some years ago.

The gears in Anna’s brain turned once again.

“Oh, how is Maren feeling?”

Elsa stopped her fork mid-bite. “Huh?”

“Well, she was sick the other day, remember? I’m just wondering if she texted you.”

“Oh, yes, yes, she did. It was just a bug or something, she’s feeling much better now.”

“So you’ll meet this Friday?”

“Probably, yeah. Why?” Elsa asked, suspicious.

Anna raised her hands. “Nothing, nothing! I’m just… You told me your coffee dates had been great. Don’t give me that look, they were also dates even if you don’t call them that.”

Anna had been bothering Elsa with ideas for ‘casual encounters’; having coffee once or twice when she met Maren, or suggesting she went for a lunch break with Honey. Which meant that for Anna, Elsa had gone out twice with Honey, not counting the previous day’s date, and four times with Maren since she started giving her older sister tips on dating, when in reality Elsa had been getting to know Honeymaren better.

“What are you getting at, Anna?”

Her sister shrugged. “I just want to know if you’re going to choose soon, that’s all. Before something gets serious with either of them, and their brothers talk to each other, and Honey and Maren discover you’ve been on dates with the other. It can get ugly.”

“I— there hasn’t been talk on dating!”

“Yeah, yeah, but it looks like it’s heading there, and if they find out, it’s probably not gonna sit well with neither. I just want to protect your heart, Elsa, it looks like you really like both these women; maybe you should have a talk with them.”

***

Anna closed the door after her sister had left and leaned against it. Kristoff curiously peeked at her. “Are you alright, dear?”

Anna blinked as if exiting her trance. “Yeah, yeah…” But still, she didn’t move from her place.

Concerned, Kristoff moved closer to Anna and took one of her hands. “Are you sure?”

Anna looked up at Kristoff and smiled, giving him a quick peck. “Yup. But I think I’m gonna do something that makes Elsa finally build her castle.”

She left Kristoff even more confused at the entrance, and left for the kitchen to tidy up.

***

It was Thursday morning and Elsa was typing away at her computer. Arendelle Inc. had just had a senior meeting about next year’s prospects, everything had to be formally redacted and saved away, and Anna had asked her to do it.

It had been almost a week since her lovely date with Honeymaren and she had visited four times the shelter; in two of the occasions finding Honeymaren there training some dogs, and on the other ones speaking more with Ryder and getting to know him a little, although he mostly left her to her own devices after a little chit-chat.

She had enjoyed her walks with Nokk, not going out in the forest again, but galloping through the fenced field and getting to know each other. She had talked with Emel and received some riding tips from Utsi. Ryder had also told her that the shelter could take in Anna’s horse if she had one, or she could adopt one if they took in another one, but they would have to draw different paperwork to Elsa’s if Anna had her own horse.

Her sister had also been a little off lately, asking a lot of questions about ‘Honey’ and ‘Maren’, which Elsa had deflected not giving any concise answers, but she could tell Anna was not happy about that. She was a little pushy about Elsa having to talk to the women or to choose one of them.

Her office door opened and Anna came in, holding some papers she left in front of Elsa. “Those are my notes on this morning’s meeting, just toss them in the folder with your thingie.”

“With my report, you mean?” Elsa smirked.

Anna made a dismissive gesture with her hand and sat down. “So,” she said.

“So,” Elsa mimicked.

“This Friday you’re going out with Maren, aren’t you? I haven’t had the time lately to ask you how that’s going.” She crossed her legs and took a pen from Elsa’s desk to play with it.

Elsa was finishing her report, but her fingers stopped on the keyboard. After the pause, she resumed writing the final paragraph. “You’ve been pretty insistent telling me to choose. What do you mean?”

Anna shrugged. “I mean, things are going pretty well with Honey for all that you keep telling me, and you only did this training thing because you liked Maren; I had to insist you added getting coffee, but I don’t know whether you like her like her, like you like Honey. I’m wondering why you keep meeting her.”

“You know I am helping her with her dog’s training, right? Sven and Olaf too; it would be just rude to stop doing so.” She tried to play it coy.

“Sure, sure, but her brother works at a shelter; you’d think there’d be dogs there, right? I’m just wondering if you’re going to keep leading the woman on. I know you know nothing about dating and stuff, but if this woman likes you, but you like your florist more than you like her, I can say I don’t see the thing with Maren ending well.”

“And what do you suggest I do?” She asked her sister. She had stopped writing the report some time ago.

“Let her down gently, that’s for sure. Maybe no more coffees from now on, tell her you’re on a schedule or something. Then it’ll be up to her if she wants to continue your ‘playdates’ or however the youth is calling it now.”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “Anna, you are younger than me.”

“And still far wiser.” She smiled innocently. “Although I have another reason to ask you about her, you have a meeting tomorrow.”

Elsa furrowed her brow and looked at her calendar on the side. “I don’t see anything marked down, Oaken would have notified me.”

Anna looked to the side. “Yeah… about that, it’s kinda last minute, I have a meeting but I can’t go, and as you are the only one that can act on my behalf you have to go. Aaand it kind of happens at the same time as your lovely not-date.”

Elsa panicked. “Wait, what? Anna! I can’t go to the meeting! I have the thing.”

Anna cringed. “That technically is not a company related thing, so you’re free and you have to go.”

“Anna!”

“You know that yelling my name will not make this go away, right?” She muttered. Elsa gave her a look that made her shut up.

“How did this happen?” She demanded.

“Kai double-booked me unintentionally with a possibly interested outside party and I have to prioritise that.” Anna also knew her sister hated meeting new people.

“I have those plans on my drawer,” Elsa threatened as last resort.

“And I’ll help you build that castle but I cannot send anyone else and you know it, Els.”

Elsa sighed and slumped in defeat. “Yeah, I know.”

“I’ll have Kai give Oaken all the details, thank you so much for doing this for me.” She got up and kissed her sister on the cheek.

Anna closed the door behind her and sighed. She had hated the sad and defeated look on Elsa, but there were some things she had to do as a sister. Walking towards Kai, she lowered the tone of her voice. “Kai, I need you to do something for me.”

Ever the loyal employee, Kai looked at her and nodded. “Whatever you need me to do, consider it done.”

“Good, you know my meeting tomorrow? You have to give Oaken my every note on it, Elsa is going on my behalf, and if anyone asks, I have another meeting with a potential client.”

Kai nodded slowly, but there were questions in his eyes. “But you do not have another meeting tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but Elsa doesn’t know that, and if she finds out she’s going to kill me. And we don’t want that, do we?” She finished with a smile.

“No, we do not. Alright then.” Kai gave her a final nod and Anna went to her office closing the door behind her.

Elsa was definitely going to find out.

And Elsa was definitely going to kill her when she did.

***

Honeymaren watched dejectedly her recent conversation with Elsa, the previous day’s, to be more precise, when the other woman told her she wouldn’t be able to attend their weekly meetings due to a meeting of her own.

So here she was, alone on her way to the dog park; Elsa not being able to be there didn’t mean she could neglect her duties to the elkhound.

The weather was getting worse, dark clouds covering most of the sky, and it may have been because of that that the dog park was emptier than it usually was. It was good for her because it would mean fewer distractions, even though the puppy was doing well. Well, ‘puppy’; she almost reached Honeymaren’s waist now.

“Come on, girl, go have some fun.” Honeymaren took off the dog’s leash and watched her run wildly around.

She walked with her eyes on her as the elkhound followed one of the few dogs up a hill and furrowed her eyebrows. That dog looked familiar.

She felt something nudge her leg and lowered her eyes to see a familiar corgi smiling up at her. “Olaf?” She asked.

The dog barked and waved his tail happily; Honeymaren looked to where the elkhound had been last, and saw her running back to her with Sven’s huge St. Bernard’s body following her.

That was weird, Elsa wasn’t supposed to be here.

“Olaf! How many times have I told you not to wander off!” She heard a person yell behind her and Honeymaren turned to see a young woman with red hair parted into two braids and a weak angry face stalking towards her.

Olaf, who was still looking at Honeymaren, barked again happily.

The young woman got close to Honeymaren. “I am so sorry about this, they’re not usually like this, well, Olaf is, he’s just happy to make new friends and wanders off, but not Sven, he usually stays by my side. They come here often so they think that just means they’re free to do whatever they want, which is not true, I’ll get them out of your hair in no time.”

Honeymaren smiled at the ramblings of the young woman. If she was here with Sven and Olaf it would probably mean she was Anna, Elsa’s younger sister, and she did look like Elsa, especially the nose. She had the same blue eyes and freckles, although Anna’s were more noticeable.

“It’s okay,” she said to put her at ease. “I know them, they are not bothering me.” She petted Sven’s head.

“Oh.” The younger woman blinked. “Oh, oh! That means you must be Maren!” She smiled and offered her hand. “I’m Anna, Elsa’s sister?”

Honeymaren blinked perplexed at Anna’s familiarity with her but welcomed it, Elsa must have told her she preferred the shorter term of her name; now there was only getting Elsa to call her that. “I know, well, I assumed. Elsa has talked a lot about you.” She shook her hand and smiled.

“All good things, I hope,” Anna said nervously. “She’s talked about you a little too, all good things.”

“She’s said nothing but good things about you too.” She smiled but her eyebrow twitched. Elsa hadn’t talked about her? They had been spending a lot of time together.

The dogs suddenly took off, playing their version of tag.

“What brings you here?” Honeymaren asked as they walked.

“Well, Elsa was tied up on a meeting and I had the afternoon off. But Kristoff is working so I decided to walk here with our dogs. I know Elsa comes here with my boys when she takes care of them, and now to train yours, so I decided to check it up. I live pretty close by. You?” Yeah, no, she did not, but this Maren did not know that.

Anna understood why Elsa was so taken with this woman. She was beautiful, she had light brown skin and honey-coloured eyes. She carried a gentleness with her that put Anna at ease almost instantly after knowing who she was, and it was clear she used the same gentleness with all three dogs. Maren was also wearing a cute orange beanie and had her hair on a braid falling on her back.

“She shot me a text yesterday saying she couldn’t meet me, but as I was already in the city for the day, I thought it would be best to continue that one’s training before we go back home.” She gestured with her chin to the general area where the three dogs were.

“Oh, you don’t live here?” Anna said surprised.

Maren shook her head. “I’m from Northuldra, a village to the north.”

“That’s a small world,” Anna muttered to herself. The chances of this woman not knowing Honey were getting slimmer. _Oh, Elsa…_

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing. I had never heard of Northuldra before, and I was raised here.” She confessed.

Maren gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Not surprising, we don’t advertise it a lot, but it has beautiful spots to view the city and the sea from above.”

Anna wondered if she should mention that Elsa had visited the place already, but she didn’t want to put off the woman that suddenly. It was better if she fished for information sneakily. “So a village, huh? There usually aren’t many people there, right? You must know everyone.”

Maren eyed her suspiciously and Anna put on her best innocent face. “You could say so. We know each other pretty well, we are like a family.”

_Oh, god, Elsa, this woman definitely knows the other. Are they playing with you?_

“And your brother works on a shelter, I heard? There must be a lot of people working there too, right?” She kept prodding.

“He does, he manages the place. I wouldn’t say there are a lot of them, but they make do.” Maren stopped their walk. “Is there a problem?”

Anna dropped her facade and got on the defensive too. “Look, I don’t know what you and that other woman are playing at, but my sister is not someone you can mess with, do you understand? It’s pretty obvious you both know each other so drop the act.”

Maren scrunched her face. “Other woman? What are you talking about?”

“That other woman! Works at a flower place, also from Northuldra and her brother coincidentally works on the shelter too. It’s evident you know each other, so what is it you plan to achieve, huh?” She gestured angrily with her hands.

Maren took a step back and her expression went from guarded to bewildered. “ _I_ work at the flower shop.”

Anna gasped incredulously, this was too much! Honey and Maren had known each other from the start!? Anna was metaphorically rolling up her sleeves, prepared for a fight or to do whatever she had to.

“I can’t actually believe anyone would be that cruel! Did you want to have a laugh or something? Well, you messed with the wrong family! I don’t want you, or- or that other woman, Honey, near my sister ever again, do you understand me?”

Maren had backed up a little, hands up in a calming manner, confused and scared by Anna’s body language.

“Honey? My name is Honey.” She explained.

“So you both better- Wait, what?” Anna blinked rapidly.

“I am that Honey.”

“No, no, you are _Maren_.”

“My full name is _Honeymaren_.”

Anna seemed to stop working. Her body paused, her face lost all anger and emotion, almost as if her brain was rebooting.

“Wait, what?” Anna was very confused. “But Elsa told me she went to Northuldra with ‘Honey’.”

Honeymaren was also very confused. “Yeah, she went with me, and jumped onto a wild horse.”

Anna grabbed onto the other woman’s arm. “Wait, Elsa did _what_?!”

“Uh… nothing?”

“Oh, she’s so dead. But wait, you are the one working at the flower shop?”

Honeymaren nodded. “I am, I’ve been preparing the bouquets your sister gives you. She also told me about you and your boyfriend wanting to hire me for something?”

Anna released her and nodded; this was her florist, Elsa would never talk to a recently met woman about something so personal. “But I don’t understand why she would say you are two different women.”

Honeymaren shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.” She shifted in her place. “But… Is there someone else?” She asked in a small voice.

Anna looked at her. “Huh? Well, not anymore. There were dog-lady and flower-girl, Maren and Honey, but we’ve already established you are both those people, so no. You have nothing to worry about.”

They stood in silence.

Honeymaren released the breath she didn’t know she had taken and looked at her feet. “Is this awkward? I feel like this is awkward.”

Anna laughed, having felt the same thing. “A little, I basically accused you of doing something you weren’t even aware was happening. Err… I hope you don’t hate me too much?” She was very much so embarrassed.

Honeymaren chuckled a little. “Ryder told me Elsa almost murdered him with an icy glare the first time she met him, so I think you’re good.”

Anna released an exaggerated sigh. “She’s always a little standoffish with people she doesn’t know. She’d be great at poker if she weren’t so bad at it.”

“Good to know.”

“So, I know you as ‘Maren’ and ‘Honey’ but your name is Honeymaren… I guess I have to ask how you want me to refer to you. I’m just Anna, but Elsa sometimes calls me Ann.”

“Well, ‘Just Anna’, Maren is alright by me. Your sister still calls me Honeymaren though, so you can use that too if you feel more comfortable.”

“Nah, Maren is okay, I don’t have as many issues with that as Elsa has. But is really nice to officially meet you,” she chuckled awkwardly. “I love your flowers.”

“I enjoy wrapping them up, every week is a new challenge.” Honeymaren smiled.

They continued talking for a bit before Anna had to leave. Honeymaren had a short training day with the elkhound because halfway through it started raining, so they hurried up to the shop and after making sure everything was closed they headed back to Northuldra. But Honeymaren had some interesting things to talk about with Elsa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that happened, what do you guys think? ^^
> 
> Fair warning, next update of this fic will probably be June 1st, I need to give 3SpidersWithAPen time to get ahead of the chapters. Trust me when I say you don't want to wait longer than a week after chapter 9 xD
> 
> I promise you this fic will be finished, I've already written the epilogue and I only have a couple of scenes left to write to finish it; we just need time to get ahead so the updates are not irregular.
> 
> Thanks for understanding!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back!  
> Thank you for patiently waiting, I have used this time to almost completely finish writing this, and soon-ish you'll see a closing number of chapters, until then, enjoy.
> 
> Thank you [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) for being an amazing editor/beta-reader
> 
> Edit [2020/06/02]: Remember, we wouldn't have gay rights if it wasn't for a black trans woman, Marsha P. Johnson. Stonewall was a riot. I support BLM.

Monday rolled around and Elsa smiled when she entered Honeymaren’s shop. It didn’t look like the woman was there, but she could hear some rustling, so she walked up to the counter and hoped the bell above the door had warned her.

“Be out in a sec!” Honeymaren’s voice rang.

Elsa smiled to herself and waited for the woman to appear. When she did, she was carrying an already-wrapped-up bouquet and had some dirt on her face.

“Hi, good morning.”

“Good morning. Did I catch you at a bad time?” Elsa asked.

“Oh, no, I was just replanting some of the bigger plants in the back.”

“I can see that,” she smirked.

Honeymaren looked confused for a second and turned to the side where a mirror was propped against a bookshelf and scrubbed the dirt out of her face. “Sorry about that.” She chuckled.

“No worries.” Elsa looked at the bouquet Honeymaren had moved against her. “I don’t get an explanation about the flowers today?”

“Ah.” Honeymaren blushed a little. “About that, I met your sister the other day.” She combed her hand through her hair.

Elsa tensed and her eyes widened. “You did?” She said a little scared.

“Yeah, when you were tied up on that meeting on Friday. She had… some interesting things to say.” She was still not making eye contact.

“Oh no…”

Honeymaren nodded. “Oh yes. Something about another woman?” She asked watching Elsa between half-lidded eyes.

Elsa flushed from top to bottom and her expression turned to worried. “I… that… I can explain.” She raised her hands to prevent Honeymaren from leaving, but the other woman was not moving, just watching at Elsa with an unreadable look. “There’s not another woman, I swear! I don’t know what Anna has told you, but believe me, she… There’s nobody else!”

“Then if I’m Honey who’s Maren?”

Elsa flushed even more, if that was possible, and if she hadn’t been so mortified she could’ve seen the mischievous glint on Honeymaren’s eyes. 

“It wasn’t… I didn’t…” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Anna asked too many questions about why I wanted to borrow her dogs every Friday, and after explaining she figured out I liked that woman, but I also, after months of keeping it under wraps, let slip that her flowers were arranged by another woman, and she accused me of buying flowers from you because I liked you, and that might be true, but I don’t know how her mind decided that those two were different women and she asked for their names, your name, and I panicked and split your name into two because it can sound like two different ones, and I never had the chance to correct her.”

Elsa stopped her rambling to take a deep breath, but didn’t open her eyes.

“So you’re saying you like me?” She heard Honeymaren say.

Elsa opened one eye to see Honeymaren looking at her with a dopey smile. “That’s all you got from what I said?”

“I heard the short version from your sister.”

Elsa sighed and crossed one of her arms over her middle and used the other to rub her forehead. “I’m so sorry about everything. I’ll get out of your hair, and you’ll never have to see me again.”

She turned to leave but Honeymaren walked around the desk and gently took one of Elsa’s hands, stopping her. “Hey, wait, don’t.” Elsa didn’t turn, but she didn’t take her hand back, so Honeymaren took it as a win. “I know you’re probably too embarrassed, so you don’t have to look at me while I say this, but I like you too. I’ve liked you since the day you walked into my shop as if you were stepping into a business meeting, but then you tripped over an empty pot. I liked you when the next week you came back and walked all confident, but when I asked you what kinds of flowers you wanted, you could only stammer and say ‘orange’. And I liked you when we were so comfortable with each other that you dropped that innuendo that we both decided to ignore. Please, don’t leave.”

Honeymaren released Elsa’s hand, but the blonde didn’t move.

Elsa took her hand, the one that Honeymaren had taken, and held it close to her chest with the other. She was scared but elated about Honeymaren’s revelation. 

“You like me too?” She asked in a small voice, turning her head partway.

“I do. I didn’t say anything before because I thought you didn’t like women. I was trying to be respectful, and if I was lucky, I would end up being your friend.”

Elsa finally turned, but her eyes were downcast. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with me after that awful comment.”

Honeymaren smirked and laughed a little. “It wasn’t that bad, it was funny. But yes, I like you as more than a friend. I wanted to go on a date with you, still do. I loved the day we spent in the forest.”

Elsa’s eyes briefly fluttered upwards. “Anna said I was being ridiculous when I called that a friendly outing. On the inside, I hoped it was a date.”

“I did too.”

Elsa finally looked up and both women stood in silence.

“What now?” Honeymaren asked nervously.

“I have to exchange some words with my sister,” Elsa grumbled.

“Don’t be too hard on her, she was really nice. Well, maybe not as nice as you were with Ryder at first.” Honeymaren’s eyes tingled with mischief.

“I am so sorry! About your brother and my sister, whatever she did. I am not very good with strangers, but I should have known better; you did tell me he worked there.”

“Don’t worry about him, he’s a big boy and he said he likes you. And I like your sister too, she’s intense, but in a good way.” Honeymaren took Elsa’s hand in hers.

“Can we forget about the weird thing that happened today?” Elsa begged.

Honeymaren was playing with Elsa’s fingertips in her hands. “But it was fun.”

“It was mortifying.”

“Alright, but only if you let me take you out on a date. On a real date.”

“Okay,” Elsa smiled.

“Okay,” Honeymaren copied also with a smile. “But I believe if you don’t leave now you’ll be late for work.”

Elsa sighed and closed her eyes. “Anna doesn’t deserve those flowers today. I should leave her to suffer.”

Honeymaren turned and took the vase from the front desk. “Then these aren’t from you, they are from me.”

“She shouldn’t be receiving presents today, she should be apologising. For whatever she did to you.”

Honeymaren shook her head. “She was only being a protective sister, there was no harm done.”

“If you say so…” She took the vase from Honeymaren, but her other hand was held captive by the woman. “I gotta go now.”

Neither knew how to say goodbye; a kiss felt maybe too much, a hug would only feel awkward. Honeymaren squeezed Elsa’s hand in hers and then let her go, watching her leave the shop, hop into her car, and drive away.

Honeymaren realised she hadn’t even told Elsa that the elkhound was back to living at the shelter.

***

Anna knew she didn’t have much time left to live. She had said her goodbyes to Kristoff and the dogs this morning, kissing Kristoff profusely before putting on the only black coat she had and driving to her own funeral. He had rolled his eyes at her.

She looked at the expensive clock that hung at her office, watching the hands move slowly until it was nine o’clock on the dot, but her office door didn’t open.

Elsa was late.

And she was never late.

Which meant that she was making her wait for her demise.

Anna was so dead.

She watched the seconds tick by, dreading every one that passed without her sister entering her office.

She stopped pacing and listened. Nothing. Maybe that was a good sign.

Anna went to her desk and pulled out the chair. Still nothing. She sat. Nothing. She sighed and dragged her chair forward.

The door opened with a slam and in her haste of getting up, Anna ended up smacking her knee on the table.

“ANNA RINDELL!” Elsa’s voice was somehow stoic and filled with contained anger.

“Dear sister of mine!” She laughed awkwardly. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

The glare Elsa gave Anna could have frozen hell over, and the younger woman shut up and swallowed loudly. Elsa put her usual bouquet on the table. “This doesn’t come from me.”

“Is it from Honey…maren?” She tried.

Elsa squinted her eyes at Anna, but nodded. “So you know.”

“Uh, the fact that the two people I asked you about turn out to be a single person? Yeah, I do. Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice had a hurt undertone.

Elsa folded her hands into herself. “I was afraid of letting you down.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were so happy when you thought I liked two people, and you made all these lists and plans and whatnot that I was afraid of seeing the disappointment in your eyes if you realised it was just one person.”

“Oh, Elsa.” Anna walked around her desk and took Elsa’s hands in hers, although her sister didn’t make eye contact. “I was happy _for_ you. I know how hard… everything has been for you… And I was happy that you were getting to know someone else, I could never be disappointed in you. No matter if you liked one person, two, or none. I love you and I want you to be happy with whoever you like.”

Elsa timidly raised her eyes to her sister and saw nothing but honesty and truth in them. “I am sorry I lied. Everything snowballed into something so much bigger, I never knew when to tell you. Every time I told you about Honeymaren you also asked about the other person, so I had to make it all up.”

“And I’m sorry I pressed you with my eagerness.” Anna embraced her sister and Elsa held onto her tightly. “Although, to be fair, I am calling her Maren, she lets me call her that.”

They ended the embrace even though their hands were still clasped and Elsa smiled at her sister. “She also told me you defended me fiercely?”

Anna blushed a little and looked to the side. “Well, duh, you are my sister, and I thought the two women you talked about knew each other and were messing with you. I might have jumped into conclusions too soon though, Maren didn’t look like she knew what I was talking about.”

“There are times when you do that.” Elsa sighed. “Thank you, for everything.”

Anna smiled bashfully. “That’s what sisters are for! But how did it go with Maren?” Elsa blushed heavily and Anna gasped. “Something happened! What happened?!”

Elsa shook her head with a smile remembering this morning. “She, very coyly, asked me about the ‘other woman’ in my life if she was ‘Honey’, and while explaining myself in a ramble, I basically told her I liked her because you were always teasing me about her, and after making a complete idiot of myself, I told her I could leave and never come back, but she confessed she’s liked me too since I first entered her shop.”

Anna squealed even harder and clasped her hands, doing a little happy dance. She had always been such a romantic.

“That is so romantic! Oh my god! And so smooth,” she added with a normal tone. “I can’t believe this! Also, you’re welcome and I’m a genius! So what happens now?”

“We’ve agreed to go on an official date. We both felt that the day we went riding felt like a date, but we want to have one that is a date-date.”

Anna hugged Elsa tightly, surprising her and lifting her from the floor; as she had her arms pinned down to her sides, Elsa could only gently pat Anna’s back. 

“This is so great! I’m so happy for you! Well, and for Maren too because I like her, she’s cool and suave, and also so pretty, good job, sis!” She jabbed Elsa’s side for emphasis. “I’ll help you prepare for your date if you want to. Oh! Also, when is the date?”

“Relax, Anna. We haven’t even talked about it yet ourselves, I guess we just needed to process this on our own. But yes, I’ll definitely need your help with my date, whenever that is.”

“Yes!”

It almost sounded like Anna was more excited about the recent development than Elsa was.

“Oh,” Elsa said remembering where she had been on Friday. “You tricked me into going to that unnecessary meeting.” She accused Anna.

“It was not unnecessary, we really have to plan the winter party and I know you don’t mind those.” She shrugged.

“I do, if it takes me away from spending time with Honeymaren.”

Anna smirked. “I had to meet her sometime, and I was going to put you in charge of the planning either way.” There was no apologetic tone in her voice because it was true; they had reached an agreement the last couple of years, Elsa would be in charge of the planning and making sure everything was where it had to go, and Anna would charm their guests on the night of the party.

Elsa hummed. “I’m going to start looking for land on the mountain.”

“That’s fair. I’ll help you with the contractors.”

“Good.”

“Oh, it just occurred to me. Why don’t you ask Maren to decorate the place for the party?”

Elsa tilted her head thinking about it. “I have yet to decide the place. I was thinking of a place overseeing the sea? There are a couple of buildings that have a nice view and are big enough for all our guests.”

Anna shrugged. “I trust you, you just put it on the company’s name and I’ll sign the papers, but do send me some pictures of the place.”

“Consider it done. Maybe I can have the deal closed by Wednesday and I’ll ask Honeymaren on Thursday.”

“Perfect. Hey Elsa?” She called after her sister, who was leaving. The blonde looked back. “I love you.”

Elsa smiled gently at her sister. “I love you too, Anna.”

***

“Thank you very much, Mrs Dan. Yes, it is a beautiful place and we are very glad it was available on that date. No worries, we have everything else under control. Yes, I will be in touch with you in a further date to discuss visiting the place. A pleasure. Goodbye.”

Elsa hung up the phone after speaking with the woman in charge of the place they were renting for the company’s winter party. It was going to be on one of the tallest buildings, with a view to the sea and with high ceilings, with a big enough ballroom where guests could mingle or dance.

She sent an email to her sister with all the details of the place and then she leaned back on her chair. 

It had been an interesting week.

She had seen Honeymaren again on Tuesday and they had talked for a bit, Honeymaren finally told her that the elkhound she had been fostering went back to the shelter. Elsa had left that morning with a flower in her hand, a smile on her face, and the promise of a date in the near future.

On Wednesday, they hadn’t been able to see each other but they had texted during the day; Anna had scolded her when she hadn’t been paying attention to the waiter who read the menu when the sisters went out to lunch.

And, on Thursday, she had secured their venue for the winter party.

Feeling bold after the call, Elsa took her phone to text Honeymaren.

_**Elsa:** Good news, I have just closed  
a deal and we have a place for  
our annual winter party :)_

It took her a while, but Honeymaren finally answered.

_**Honeymaren:** Nice!  
That means another thing off your  
list!_

_**Elsa:** The main thing. Can’t really  
have a catering without a place  
to deliver it to._

_**Honeymaren:** A productive morning  
then?_

_**Elsa:** Indeed.  
I wanted to ask you something, and  
you can absolutely say no if you  
feel it would make things weird._

_**Honeymaren:** What is it?_

_**Elsa:** Anna already agreed, we were  
wondering if you wanted to decorate the  
place with your flowers.  
We would, of course, hire you and make  
everything legal, and you can  
have access to the place or  
anything else that you may need._

Elsa bit her lip while she waited for Honeymaren’s answer.

_**Honeymaren:** Wow  
I feel honoured.  
Are you sure you want me to  
do that?  
I know there are places that  
specialise on that._

_**Elsa:** But we want you to do it, if  
you want to, of course.  
Anna loves the way you mix the flowers  
of her bouquets._

_**Honeymaren:** Only Anna?_

_**Elsa:** I do too, but Anna is the CEO, her  
opinion matters a little bit more than  
mine, regarding any business._

_**Honeymaren:** I’ll do it  
I’ll have to clear my schedule to sign  
anything, but may I know which company  
am I to decorate for?  
I don’t believe I asked you before._

_**Elsa:** I’ll clear our schedules too, so  
we can have a meeting of some sorts to decide  
what type of flowers we want and where would  
you think would be best to put them.  
Then, we can draw up a contract.  
Sure, I don’t think I ever told you either,  
It’s Arendelle Inc._

***

Elsa stared at her phone’s screen reading Honeymaren and her last text exchange. It had been radio silent since Elsa had sent that last text, and she was starting to get worried.

Usually, she wouldn’t pay much attention, there had been times where Honeymaren and her had been talking and either of them had stopped texting because they had to take care of something, but it had been a few hours since then.

Elsa was going to be tied up on the office until much later, so she wouldn’t be able to catch Honeymaren at her shop when she got out.

“Els? You got the papers I asked for?” Her sister’s face popped into her office, but at seeing Elsa’s furrowed face Anna’s smile disappeared. “Is everything okay?” She asked.

“Yes. No.” Elsa sighed. “I don’t know, this morning I was telling Honeymaren we had just rented the place near the water, and she was excited, but then I told her we wanted to hire her for the decoration and she hasn’t answered yet.”

Anna sat down in front of her sister. “Maybe she had something come up. Or she had to talk about it with someone else.” She suggested to calm Elsa down.

Her sister was biting her lower lip. “Yeah… maybe. I don’t know. You’re probably right, I’m making things up.” She ran a hand through the rebellious strand that escaped her braid.

“Just give her some time, she probably had a lot on her plate and just forgot about it. Wish her a good night tonight if she hasn’t answered yet, as a gentle reminder.”

Elsa sighed again and put her phone in the drawer. “Yeah, I’ll do that. Oh, and here are the papers you have to sign, I had them go through our lawyers to make sure everything was what we agreed on, and I’ve read them over too. You have to read them and Mrs Dan will come tomorrow to sign them.”

“Perfect. Thank you, sis!” Anna got up and left for her own office.

Elsa reorganised the things on her desk and took the next thing on her to-do list, but still couldn’t shake the bad feeling that had overtaken her.

****

Friday came around and Honeymaren hadn’t answered yet. Elsa had sent a goodnight text the previous night, as Anna had suggested, but that one too had gone unanswered. In the morning, Honeymaren’s shop stayed closed even after Elsa left for work. To add to it, it had been a hectic day for some reason, but she thanked work for distracting her.

Anna had noticed her sister’s behaviour; colder and more stoic than usual, snapping at people too fast, it reminded her of how Elsa behaved before they started having a more sisterly relationship. Anna was worried.

Elsa had tried to convince Anna that she was alright, but her sister was taking on every little piece of work that she could find and, Oaken had told her, she hadn’t even taken a break for lunch.

Anna was revising some documents on Elsa’s office that could’ve been done in her own, but she wanted to keep an eye on her sister, so she was sitting on the sofa using the small coffee table as a desk. There was a single withered flower in a crystal vase resting next to her documents.

Both of them were doing their thing when Elsa’s phone dinged from where it was on her table.

Anna pretended she wasn’t looking at her sister. Elsa quickly took her phone and unlocked it, gasping and letting the phone fall from her hands after reading whatever it said.

Anna hurriedly got up and went to her sister, whose eyes were shimmering with fast approaching but unshed tears. Elsa turned to Anna, burying her face on her stomach.

Anna took Elsa’s phone to see what had made her react like that and read Honeymaren’s last text:

_**Honeymaren:** We need to talk._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :(
> 
> I told you you wouldn't want to wait longer than usual for the next chapter...
> 
> LISTEN!  
> Before yelling, I want to let you all know that this is the only "angst" you'll see in the story (I didn't tag it with angst because I don't consider it angst, but if you think I should tag it just tell me) and these two will have their happy ending!  
> If you want to be certain of it, I can give you a small "summary" of the next chapters:
> 
> SPOILERS BEGIN  
> Next chapter will be from Honeymaren's point of view and why she sent that text, chapter 11 will have Honeymaren and Elsa talk and resolve this thing. Remember when some chapters ago I said there was some plot? Next chapter you'll see what it is about  
> SPOILERS END
> 
> Now you can go ahead and yell at me if you wish xD  
> 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did promise I would upload this a couple of hours earlier than usual so... here you have it! I hope you didn't suffer too much with the last one
> 
> Thank you to my editor [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) for being so patient with me xD
> 
> And remember, we wouldn't have gay rights if it wasn't for a black trans woman, Marsha P. Johnson. Stonewall was a riot. Black Lives Matter.

_**Honeymaren:** We need to talk._

Anna read the words and grimaced. It did not look good.

“Those are not good words to read, are they?” Elsa’s voice came muffled and monotone from where she was.

“We don’t know that,” Anna replied. “Look, she’s writing again.”

Elsa made no attempt to move from where she was, and that left Anna watching _typing_ on the phone.

Anna tilted her head in confusion at reading the next message. “‘There are some things I need to talk to you about.’ Well, that sure sounds like a serial killer, is she a serial killer? She didn’t seem like one to me.”

“She’s not a serial killer, Anna.”

“Wait, another one’s coming. ‘I didn’t mean to give you the silent treatment, but I had some things to think over.’ I’m telling you, this sounds like something a serial killer would say. Someone should make sure the dog she has is still alive.”

“She doesn’t have her anymore.”

“She killed the dog?!”

“Anna!” Elsa finally separated from Anna, although she made no attempt to retrieve the phone from her sister’s hold. “She did not kill the dog, the dog is back at the shelter.”

Anna sighed in relief. “Thank god. But why would she send those cryptic messages? What should we text back?”

“ _I_ should text back,” Elsa specified. “But maybe you could support me from the sides?” She added sheepishly.

Anna gave back the phone to her sister and stood at her back, bending so she was at the same level as Elsa.

“I think you can just ask her what happened,” Anna suggested.

“Like this?”

_**Elsa:** May I ask what I did  
to deserve this?_

Anna made a sound as Elsa pressed send. “A little too serious and cold, but really, not too out of character for you in this situation.”

Elsa sent a glare to her sister as they both waited for Honeymaren to answer.

_**Honeymaren:** It was not you  
It was something that happened a  
long time ago._

“Well, now I’m just lost.” Said Anna out loud reading Elsa’s mind. “What does she mean with a long time ago? You don’t know her from that long, do you?”

“No, just this year,” Elsa said, shaking her head. She composed another text.

_**Elsa:** I don’t understand._

Honeymaren’s answer came quickly.

_**Honeymaren:** Could we meet up?  
This is not something that I would  
like to discuss via text._

“Aaand here we go again with the serial killer vibes. You’re not seriously thinking about meeting her, right?” She asked Elsa.

But Elsa was biting her lip, clearly deep in thought.

“Elsa! Tell me you’re not seriously thinking about it!”

“I don’t know, Anna, it could be something important.”

Anna looked at the ceiling, rubbing the crease that had formed between her eyebrows. She sighed, knowing Elsa had already made up her mind. “Just- please tell me you will meet her somewhere public? She seemed normal enough the other day, but these texts are giving me serial killer vibes, and I wouldn’t want to run Arendelle alone.”

“She’s not a serial killer, as I’ve been telling you, but for your peace of mind, I’ll meet her at a cafe or a park.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll ignore your comment about Arendelle, as this is your company now,” Elsa said while texting Honeymaren about meeting the next afternoon in a nearby cafe where they went for coffee when they went to the park.

“You do have the second most shares, though.” Anna retorted. “Is it done? Did she agree?”

Elsa left the phone on the table and leaned back in the chair with a heavy look in her eyes. “Yeah, tomorrow I’ll know what this is all about.”

“I do want to know too, you know.”

****

_The previous day…_

_**Elsa:** I’ll clear our schedules too so that  
we can have a meeting of some sorts to decide  
what type of flowers we want and where would  
you think would be best to put them.  
Then, we can draw up a contract.  
Sure, I don’t think I ever told you either, it’s  
Arendelle Inc._

Honeymaren’s blood froze as she read Elsa’s last text.

_Arendelle Inc._

She couldn’t hear anything as she hastily made her way to the computer on the back, and checked the last purchases, looking for Elsa’s weekly ones. There it was.

_Elsa Rindell._

Rindell… rendell… _Arendelle._

Why hadn’t she connected the dots before? It’s true that she had never really focused on Elsa’s last name, and the woman had never introduced herself as _Elsa Rindell_ , but she should’ve known, right?

But she had been so nice, and her sister was too, so how could she have known those two women belonged to the same family that had almost destroyed hers?

She called her brother on the phone but he did not answer; he was probably busy with the animals, but she needed someone to talk to.

Packing all her things, she closed the shop early and decided to head to the shelter. She really needed Ryder right now.

Honeymaren parked as close as she could and entered, still in her previous daze. She had had to stop before driving there because her hands had been trembling, with anger or shock, she didn’t know, and although she was a little calmer, she was still agitated.

“Where’s Ryder?” She demanded, more than asked, Norá.

The girl looked at Honeymaren with concern, but made the right choice and said nothing, pointing at where Ryder’s office was. “Yelana is with him.” She warned.

Good, Honeymaren thought as she strode towards that room, that would save her another retelling of the story because no doubt this would also involve their grandmother.

Honeymaren opened the door without so much as a warning, and the two people inside startled and turned towards her. Honeymaren said nothing, but started pacing the room, trying to find the words.

Ryder still had some documents in his hands and Yelana was patiently waiting for her granddaughter to say something. Both knew that something was wrong because otherwise, Honeymaren wouldn’t have intruded in a meeting, even though they were family.

“She’s… she’s one of them,” she said taking her hands to her hair. “I had no idea, I didn’t know.”

Ryder and Yelana shared a look, both lost to as what Honeymaren was referring to.

“What are you talking about?” Asked Ryder.

“She… Elsa! I had no idea, they are both so nice, how could they belong to such a family?” She was getting frustrated by the second and her pacing had become frantic.

“Honeymaren,” Yelana said with a strong voice. “We don’t know what you’re talking about. Wait until you’ve calmed down and then tell us. Go.”

Honeymaren knew Yelana was right, so she nodded at the pair and left the office, going straight to where the dogs, and especially one, were housed.

The elkhound she had sheltered until some days ago was not in her cage, so Honeymaren headed to the playground, where the more well-behaved dogs were enjoying some time off.

She sat down on the grass to watch them, not wanting to disturb them, but some of them noticed her and picked up enough of her energy to walk near her and give her some comfort, although they didn’t stay long.

When her elkhound noticed her, she ran up to her, barking happily, and she drowned Honeymaren in kisses.

The dog had grown up quite a lot; if Honeymaren stood up, the dog easily reached up to her waist, so it was not difficult for the dog to overpower her and throw her backwards into the grass to continue showing her love.

That made Honeymaren eventually relax and laugh a little, petting the dog until she was settled down with her head on Honeymaren’s stomach.

Honeymaren was watching the clouds above her head when a shadow put itself in between the sky and her. It was Ryder.

“Are you better now?” He asked with a smirk, but with concern in his voice.

Honeymaren nodded. “Yeah, I think I am.”

“Yelana sent me out here to talk to you, but if it’s girl stuff maybe she can help you better, she’s still in my office.” He pointed back, still looking down at his sister.

Honeymaren woke up the dog and held out her hand so Ryder could help her up. “I think it’s probably best if I talk to you both. In a way, it concerns us all.”

Ryder helped his sister up, but his concerned expression deepened. They walked back to Ryder’s office in silence, Honeymaren’s mind trying to conjure exactly what she was going to say.

Ryder sat down in his seat and Honeymaren took the one next to Yelana, who had turned the chair so she could face her granddaughter. “Are you better now?” She asked.

“Yes, thank you.” Honeymaren lowered her head, embarrassed for her earlier outburst.

“What did you want to talk to us about?” Said Ryder interlacing his fingers and leaning forward a little.

“I just…” Honeymaren sighed and closed her eyes. “Elsa, the woman I’m see-. My frie-. The woman that was here the other day, she’s a Rindell.”

“Elsa, your girlfriend?” Ryder piped up surprised. Maren nodded, ignoring the ‘girlfriend’ part. “I don’t understand, what does that have to do with anything? Did she do something to you?” He asked.

Ryder had not caught up, but Yelana certainly had. “She means this Elsa is probably related to Arendelle Inc.” She looked at Honeymaren with knowing eyes.

Honeymaren held Yelana’s gaze for a second and then lowered it, nodding.

“Oh…” Ryder fell back into his chair. “Shit.”

“Yeah,” said Maren leaning on the side of the chair.

“What are you going to do?” Asked her brother.

“I have no idea. I haven’t answered her latest text, I don’t know what to say. Did she know? Has this been their plot all this time?” Honeymaren wasn’t even angry anymore, she was sad and drained.

“She seemed genuine when she came the other day,” Ryder said with a confidence he didn’t feel. “I don’t think she’s a bad person.”

“But she’s a _Rindell_ , Ryder, what am I going to tell her?” Frustrated, Honeymaren emphasised with her hands.

“Do you think you should stop seeing each other?”

Her brother asked what Honeymaren didn’t want to think about.

She bit her nail in a nervous gesture. “Isn’t that the only solution?” But she didn’t seem sure at all. She looked at Yelana, who hadn’t said anything yet. “I should tell her not to come back, right? After all they’ve done to us.”

Yelana’s eyes didn’t betray anything, but they were looking at Honeymaren with an intensity not usually shown. “I think you’re behaving like a child.” She finally said.

The shock of those words stopped both sibling’s movements.

“What?” Honeymaren managed to say.

“You are behaving like a child that has found her favourite toy has a flaw and is now planning to throw it out.”

“Shouldn’t that be what I should do? After what they did to us? After what they did to you?” Honeymaren was put out.

“Neither your brother nor I can tell you what to do. If you want to stop seeing that young woman, then let it be because you two don’t get along as well as you thought, not out of some misguided heroic action.”

Honeymaren was stunned. That was not what she had expected Yelana to say, and she didn’t know whether to feel hurt by her words. Yelana moved her chair closer to Honeymaren and took her granddaughter’s hands in hers.

“Darling, what happened, happened many, many years ago, when both your parents were no more than children. It was terrible and still today, we pay the price, but do not let mistakes from the past affect your future. I don’t believe that young woman had anything to do with what happened or has any idea of it. What you’re doing now with your behaviour is hurting her and yourself.”

“But grandma, they ruined us.” She argued.

“Her forebear did. Children should not bear the guilt of their grandparents. But if you really want to break up with this girl because of that past, she at least deserves to know the whole story.”

She gave Honeymaren a kiss on the forehead and stood up, leaving the siblings stunned and speechless.

Minutes into the silence, Honeymaren looked at her brother. “What do you think I should do?”

Ryder hesitated. “I can’t tell you that, but I think Yelana is right, Elsa at least deserves to know why you’re breaking up with her. And if you do break up and afterwards you want to go eat ice-cream or whatever you girls do, then I’m here for you.”

“And if I don’t break up with her?” She asked sheepishly.

“Then I’ll be happy for you, and will thank you immensely because otherwise it’s bound to get awkward every time she comes here for Nokk.”

Honeymaren leaned back and sighed. “I need to think about this.”

“Do you want me to be there?” Ryder offered.

“No, thank you. I’ve closed the shop for today, but do you mind if I stay around here for a while? I don’t want to go home just yet.”

Ryder smiled gently at her sister. “You are welcomed to. Also, Yelana brought food for everyone, so you should stay for that too. No need to put a brave front; just take some food and eat it wherever you want.”

“Thanks, Ryder.” She got up to kiss her brother on the cheek and left his office.

She wandered aimlessly through the shelter and somehow ended up where the small animals were held. Her eyes fell to the cage were a certain ferret was gnawing on her cage’s plastic. 

The animal stopped when she saw Maren. “Yeah, don’t think I haven’t seen you.” She said nearing her. “Do you promise to behave and stay with me if I let you out?” She asked the animal.

Gale seemed to understand what she was saying because she backed away from the door and waited patiently. Honeymaren sighed with a smile and opened Gale’s cage, who instantly jumped out into Honeymaren’s arms and climbed up to her neck.

“Good. Now stay with me.” She took a small leash and tied it to the tiny harness she put on Gale. She tied the other end to one of her trousers' loops.

Honeymaren went to the shelter’s kitchen, where workers usually ate, and found the food Ryder had talked about inside the fridge. She took the containers out and self-served the food, closing the lid before Gale could take a bite, and put them back inside for the rest of the workers to enjoy.

She played catch with Gale and a paper ball on the floor while the food heated up on the microwave, and took the opportunity to also prepare Gale’s food so they could eat together.

Tidying the place up, she borrowed a basket and put their food inside. Then, Honeymaren and Gale went on a walk on the forest, the former letting the ferret walk ahead of her while she found a calm spot where they could eat.

She spent a chunk of her afternoon in the shelter’s surroundings, letting Gale have some freedom even though she could never fully return to it, and used that time to think about what to do with the situation she was in.

Did she really want to stop seeing Elsa? Did Elsa know about their situation? Did Elsa care about her? Did she care about Elsa?

The answer to that last question was an affirmative; she had been infatuated with her from the first time the blonde entered her shop, but that didn’t negate that the main reason Northuldra didn’t have as many resources as they could was because of Arendelle Inc.

With a clearer head, Honeymaren entered the shelter just as the sun was beginning to disappear behind the mountains, and put Gale back in her cage. She had previously left a note saying she had taken her on a walk, just so her brother didn’t go crazy looking for Gale all over the place. She liked nagging her brother, but making him think Gale had disappeared again might be too much.

After that, she found Ryder preparing dinner for the dogs.

“Hey there, sis,” he said when he noticed her. “I saw the note you left on Gale’s cage; when I first saw her cage was open I almost had a heart attack.”

“I’d never, purposely, give you a heart attack,” said Maren with a hand on her heart.

Ryder snorted. “Yeah, not to me, to Yelana. Did you make up your mind?” He asked giving her a side-eye.

Honeymaren sighed while helping her brother with the bowls. “I… I think I did. I don’t want to stop seeing her, but maybe after what I’ve done today, she will want nothing to do with me. The least I can do is explain the situation and why I panicked.”

“Will you text her now?”

Honeymaren shook her head. “It’s too late, and I think saying anything today would make her antsy.”

“Just don’t wait too much or she’ll think you’re ghosting her.”

“I’ll text her tomorrow, I promise.”

“Good, good. Now, what do you think we should do with the gecko that arrived the other day?”

****

But her plans of texting Elsa as soon as she could the next day went awry as Ryder woke her up in the ungodly hours of the night to see if she could help in the search of a dog that had apparently been seen roaming the side of the road that connected the city with Northuldra.

Of course, Honeymaren had gotten up and joined the search, which consisted of Norá, Ryder, a young man named Simit, who was the one who had seen the dog, and her.

Simit had called the shelter where Vállju, Norá’s brother, was keeping watch with Emel’s apprentice as the vet in charge. Vállju, in turn, had called Ryder, and he had been responsible of waking the other two girls up.

They needed her help because Simit said he had unintentionally spooked the dog and it had climbed up the mountain. So there they were: Simit driving down the road to see if he could find it if it came down, and Ryder, Norá, and Honeymaren with torches in a sweep up the mountain to find the lost dog.

Vállju and Emel’s apprentice had stayed in the shelter in case anyone brought the dog.

The search ended as the sun was going up, when Norá found it pressed against a fallen tree, trembling and scared. It took them another couple of hours until they were able to persuade the dog to get in a cage so they could take it to Emel for a check-up.

Honeymaren hadn’t been able to open the shop; fortunately, she didn’t have any orders that demanded her attention, and Yelana had promised to send someone over to take over her for the afternoon so Honeymaren could get some rest.

It had also meant that Elsa wouldn’t have been able to enter the shop to talk face to face with her that morning.

And she felt horrible for not answering Elsa’s last night’s text, but she had only seen it after Ryder had woken her up earlier that morning, and she hadn’t had the time to think of what to say.

So now, for the first time in more than twenty-four hours, she picked up the phone and texted Elsa.

Instantly cringing at her conversation starter, she hurried to explain.

Something she did not manage, as Elsa’s answers were cold and detached, but she did deserve that.

Lack of sleep was making her texts seem worse than she wanted them to be, so she proposed meeting up to talk in person for better communication.

Elsa suggested they meet the next day in a coffee shop near the dog park, and Honeymaren promptly agreed; she would have preferred they talked on the same day, but she understood there were things Elsa couldn’t get out of, even more now that Honeymaren knew she managed a business as big as Arendelle Inc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: the Talk^TM (and maybe something else...)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Talk^TM...  
> ...and something else

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this?! A surprise update?! Indeed it is, I'll be travelling tomorrow (safety measures and all) so I won't be able to upload tomorrow, so instead of making you wait, have an early update! Yay! 
> 
> On a sadder note, you'll see that the last chapter will be number 20 (19 chapters + an epilogue) which means we're past the halfway mark, but there's still a lot to come, so without further ado, enjoy!
> 
> And thanks to my editor [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) ^^

Honeymaren had tried to go to sleep early that night, but even though she was exhausted, sleep did not come to her easily, and she slept fitfully through the night, waking up just past sunrise.

Her house was in Northuldra, as close as she could get to the forest, similar to Yelana’s, which meant she had quite a big backyard that gave way into the treeline of the forest. It was fenced to let the dogs who stayed with her have a little bit of freedom, and it also meant that she sometimes saw curious visitors from outside, from rabbits to deer, but if she did not take good care of the backyard, it easily turned into a forest.

Honeymaren prepared a strong coffee, after the night she had had she definitely needed it, and sat on the bench in the porch of the backyard to watch nature wake up.

She watched as the sun shone on the water droplets that the dew left on its way, she listened to the birds’ morning songs, she felt the sun’s warmth on her skin.

And, above all, she feared that afternoon’s meeting.

Honeymaren didn’t have anything to do in the morning; the person Yelana had sent the previous day to her shop had agreed to open in the morning too, so she set to tidy up her place and do the week’s laundry. The house was modest: it had the main bedroom with an attached bathroom, the guest room, an office, another bathroom, and the kitchen and living room separated with a reduced wall.

The guest room was more like the animal room when Ryder needed a place for them; there wasn’t even a proper bed, only a sofa-bed where she could sleep in case anyone stayed over. Anything else the room had, it all belonged to the animals.

So, while the washing machine worked on her clothes, Honeymaren changed the bedsheets, hoovered the floors and opened all the windows to let the cool morning air take away the night’s turmoil. 

She put the laundry in the dryer, knowing the weather would not dry her clothes at all if she hung them outside, and turned to sweep the kitchen and living room.

As she was short on some things, Honeymaren wrote down what she needed to buy from the store and drove there. She was not the best of cooks, but after Yelana’s teachings, she could handle herself in the kitchen.

She restocked and cooked herself some comfort food, not a hundred percent ready for what awaited her merely hours away, but she had to shake the tiredness off of her. What better way to do that than with her favourite meal?

Honeymaren headed to the cafe where she was meeting Elsa with time to spare; she didn’t have anything better to do, but before heading to the city, Honeymaren popped into the shelter to ask how the stray dog was doing. Norá told her it was doing well, Emel had set its leg and they were letting it rest in the solitary kennels before doing a more thorough check-up.

So, she arrived at the coffee-shop forty-five minutes before Elsa and she were supposed to meet. She asked for a black coffee and found a quiet place in the back, away from any prying eyes and ears that could fall into their conversation.

Honeymaren was nervously tapping the coffee cup, the coffee long gone, when the door to the shop opened and Elsa came through. She was wearing a dark suit with her hair pulled back. When she looked around the shop and her eyes met Honeymaren, they gave nothing away, and Honeymaren found herself swallowing hard. This was not going to go well.

Elsa bought herself a drink and sat down hesitantly in front of Honeymaren.

“Hey…” Honeymaren started, but Elsa just looked at her.

“You wanted to meet,” Elsa said with a small but firm voice.

Honeymaren sighed. “Look, I am really sorry for ghosting you, you did not deserve that.”

“Why did you do it then?” Elsa’s face was blank, but her voice had wavered.

“I…” Honeymaren gulped. “I didn’t know where you worked. I saw your name on the receipts, but I never made the connection to Arendelle. That you run Arendelle. I could’ve never imagined, you are too good of a person.”

“What do you mean?” Elsa was confused.

This was it, Honeymaren had to come clean. “You said you had never heard of Northuldra before, even though we are so close to the city. That’s because thirty-four years ago, the CEO of Arendelle Inc. made us sign a shitty agreement that basically cut Northuldra off from any major dealer in town. Business in Northuldra went down, shops had to close down, people had to leave in search of job opportunities… Without business, tourists stopped coming, and everyone basically just forgot about us.”

Honeymaren had been looking down at her cup, but when she looked up again, Elsa had dropped the act and was watching her with confusion and worried eyes.

“How is that possible?” She managed to say.

Honeymaren rubbed one side of her head. “I don’t know the specifics, everything happened before I was born.” After a pause, she added more quietly. “Or you.”

“And you thought… that I knew this? And that I was what, keeping it from you?” Elsa asked.

Honeymaren sighed. “At first I did. Yelana’s father died when he couldn’t get the medical attention he needed, because his papers were denied at the hospital by Arendelle’s contract, and learning you were part of it put me on edge and defensive. But as I said before, you’re too good of a person to do that. I had someone knock some sense into me before I could think clearly, though,” Honeymaren chuckled humourlessly.

“I can promise you I had no idea.”

“I know, Elsa,” Honeymaren said hurriedly. “I’m just saying it because you deserve to know why I freaked out. I know I’ve behaved like a jerk… and I would understand if you wanted nothing to do with me anymore.”

Now, Elsa looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Excuse me?” She said with her eyes wide and icy voice.

Honeymaren looked to the sides, wondering what had caused that change in Elsa. “I… uh… I said that-”

“No, no, I heard you correctly. I’m just wondering why you would think I would want to stop seeing you.”

“I… was a jerk.” Why was she waging against herself when she had previously decided she wanted Elsa?

“Understatement. And I am hurt, and it will take time to heal. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you. Uh… continue to see you.” She blushed at her slip-up, but didn’t break eye contact. “Unless you don’t want to,” she added in a small voice, finally breaking eye contact.

“I do!” Perhaps Honeymaren put too much emphasis on her words. “I do want to keep seeing you, I thought you wouldn’t want to.”

“Maybe we should ask the other person what they think instead of making assumptions ourselves.” 

Honeymaren lowered her head, embarrassed. “Sorry.”

“I accept your apology. And… I’m sorry. For what my grandfather did.”

“You have nothing to apologise for,” Honeymaren retorted. “You… should not bear your grandfather’s guilt.”

Elsa nodded. “Thanks. I’ll look into what he did, anyway. There have to be records of that in Arendelle. I know my grandfather was a ruthless lawyer as well as a businessman, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“I appreciate that.” Honeymaren had been trying to conceal them the entire time, but this time she couldn’t hold in a yawn.

“Are you okay?” Elsa asked. “You look tired.” 

Honeymaren waved a hand. “Everything is good, I promise. These past two days I just haven’t been able to sleep properly.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, today because I was nervous,” she confessed, “but on Friday I had to get up at the crack of dawn to search for a stray dog. We found it, but I wasn’t home until noon.”

“I see.”

Honeymaren winced while she sorted her next words. “I was running low on sleep when I texted you. I’m sorry if I sounded off; I wanted to text you earlier, but I wasn’t able.”

“No, no, I understand.” Elsa chuckled. “Anna said you sounded like a serial killer.”

Honeymaren looked appalled. “I’m sorry! I’m not the best at texting, I can see why your sister would think that.”

“But you’re sure you’re okay, right?”

“Yes, I promise. Anyways, how is Anna?” She asked, changing subjects.

Elsa swept a random strand of hair behind her ear. “She didn’t want me to meet you, actually. She was only happy when I said I would do so in a public space. It’s not that she doesn’t like you, it’s just… your texts did not put her at ease.”

Honeymaren chuckled sadly. “Yeah… it all comes back to the texts. Can you tell her that I’m sorry? For all it’s worth, anyway.”

“I will. And I do think she likes you; she’s never been that invested in anyone I’ve shown interest for before. She’s… very protective of me, as I am of her.” Elsa looked down at her coffee with a frown. “We weren’t awfully close growing up, mainly because of me, and, when our parents died, I distanced myself even more. When I… took over our parent’s company I was in a very dark place, but Anna still tried to get close, she never gave up on me.” She looked up and saw that Honeymaren was looking at her with sad eyes, so she waved a hand to make light of the situation. “We made up, and we’re pretty tight right now, but I just wanted you to know in case Anna does something or tells you something. She’s very protective and will probably do something.”

Honeymaren smiled. “I’ll be on the lookout for her, then.” 

“You won’t see her coming,” Elsa smirked.

Honeymaren smirked back. “I do have plenty of experience with little siblings, you know? Ryder was a handful growing up.”

Elsa perked up. “Oh, yeah?”

Honeymaren chuckled. “Yeah. Our parents died when we were young, so he wanted to follow me everywhere. Mind you, I’m four years older than him, so I could do more things and had a little bit more freedom. We were basically raised by our grandmother, Yelana, and I think we gave her more than one heart attack. I loved climbing trees, and Yelana’s backyard is full of them, so I used to sneak out to go there. Ryder, obviously, tried to follow, but more times than not he fell, crying and alerting Yelana. She would find me still on a tree and, well, I was not allowed to, so you can guess what happened next.”

Elsa and Honeymaren laughed. 

“Did you learn your lesson?”

“Not at all, the next day I was back on the trees. It was my version of freedom until I was old enough for Yelana to allow Utsi to teach me how to ride a horse. Then, I would go to the forest for hours.”

“That sounds really nice.” Elsa sipped the last of her coffee. “My family and I moved to the city nine years ago or so, before that, we lived on the outskirts. As such, we had horses in our property, and I remember riding with my mother before I was able to mount properly on a horse.” She chuckled. “I must say, I didn’t exactly tell you the truth about knowing how to ride; truth is, I won most competitions I participated on.”

Honeymaren gasped exaggeratedly. “Ouch, no doubt you won that race. Maybe when winter’s over I can have my rematch? I didn’t give it my all.”

“Sure you didn’t,” said Elsa with a twinkle in her eyes. “But of course, maybe this time I can hold back a little to make it interesting.”

Honeymaren laughed and Elsa joined her.

“May I buy you a coffee?” Honeymaren asked when she saw Elsa’s cup had been empty for some time.

“An apology coffee?”

“A ‘date coffee’. If you would let me.”

Elsa’s cheeks reddened slightly but she nodded. She gave Honeymaren her order and the other woman went to the counter to order their coffees. She also brought a plate with a couple of chocolate biscuits.

“These can be the ‘apology biscuits’. This is your drink.” She put Elsa’s cup in front of her.

“Thank you,” she answered. “And I’m sorry, but I have to ask. Would you still be interested in decorating my company’s winter party? You don’t have to answer now, just as a thought.”

Honeymaren hesitated. “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I don’t know if I’m allowed to. The thing I mentioned before, that contract your grandfather made my people sign, it’s very probable that it doesn’t let me work for you. I would say yes otherwise.”

“Is it that bad?” 

Honeymaren shrugged. “I don’t know, they never let me see the actual contract, but yes. That’s why there aren’t many Northuldra businesses in the city; one look at who is trying to buy or rent something and the papers always get denied.” She sighed. “My shop was built before that and I don’t really need outside suppliers; most things are grown in Yelana’s backyard or ordered on-line, that’s why the shop has survived this long.”

“Wow… I’ll- I will look at that first thing in the morning, I promise.” Elsa’s eyes were full of conviction.

“Thanks,” Honeymaren gave her a sad smile. “And I think that concludes my sad story. Please don’t look at me that way, we have survived this long and we will continue to do so.”

Elsa swallowed hard and nodded, breaking eye contact with Honeymaren.

Honeymaren spoke again. “What do you say we leave this place and go for a walk? I’m feeling kind of restless after so much coffee.”

Elsa nodded, and after finishing their drinks, they got up and left. Outside the door, Honeymaren offered Elsa her arm with a shy smile, and Elsa linked her arm with Honeymaren’s, leaning into her.

The sky was grey, but it wasn’t raining, even though it was a little bit chilly, and Honeymaren congratulated herself for being brave enough to offer her arm because Elsa was providing her with some warmth.

“You know,” said Elsa after a while, “I never thought walking aimlessly would be so peaceful.”

“I prefer the forest; this is a different kind of peaceful. Although I do like to walk around and watch people do their thing. Some are running, some are waiting, and sometimes you can hear a couple of exchanged words and make up what they’re talking about in your mind.”

“For example?”

Honeymaren pointed at a couple that was coming towards them and told her to wait. When they passed them by, they listened to a part of their conversation.

“So, what do you think they were talking about?” Honeymaren asked her when the other couple was left behind.

“They mentioned having to ‘take the car’, so my guess would be they are planning a vacation.”

Honeymaren tutted. “Ah, but what if they were really planning to rob a bank? The car you heard them talk about could be the getaway car, we didn’t hear them talk about what they were going to do with it.”

Elsa laughed and hip-checked Honeymaren. “You’re ridiculous, they were not planning to rob a bank. Although if anything like that happens in the near future, I will feel bad.”

Honeymaren chuckled. “They were probably not planning anything illegal, but that’s the fun of not knowing the entire conversation, you can make it up.”

They continued strolling lazily through the streets as the sun went down. Honeymaren accompanied Elsa to her car, getting more nervous as they got closer.

“Thank you for giving me another opportunity,” she told Elsa, who was leaning against the driver’s door. 

“Thank you for trusting me with your demons.”

Honeymaren nodded, looking down at her feet and then somewhere above Elsa’s shoulder. Her heart was beating fast when she finally made eye contact with Elsa, who was looking at her with a curious expression.

“Elsa, I-”

But she was cut off when Elsa pushed herself from the car and closed the space between them, leaning in and kissing Honeymaren on the cheek, on the corner of her mouth. Honeymaren inhaled rapidly, her senses drunk on Elsa’s fragrance.

“Goodnight, Maren.” Elsa said.

She looked into Elsa’s eyes, her cheeks aflame, and Honeymaren could see Elsa had been affected too. Dumbstruck, Honeymaren could only watch as Elsa got into her car and left while she returned her wave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are we happy now? :D
> 
> (I'm meh about some parts but it's gonna be smooth sailing for these two from now on (...or is it?)(gotta keep you on your toes, hehehe))


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keeping Up With Your Sibling
> 
> (In which we celebrate small victories)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my editor [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) ^^

Elsa was sitting on the kitchen island, checking her mail on her computer. She had some classical music playing in the background and was sipping on lavender flavoured tea. It was a calm Sunday morning, the pitter-patter of the rain on the windows the only sound coming from the outside.

The sound of her apartment’s bell ringing broke Elsa’s peace, and she knit her brow; she hadn’t ordered anything or had any plans of meeting anyone. Careful, Elsa got up from her seat and walked to the entrance, looking through the peephole before opening the door.

“Honestly, was it that hard to give me a call yesterday?”

Anna walked through the door in a stride, not caring about her clothes dripping all over the floor.

“Good morning, Anna. I did send you a text,” she pointed out.

“A text! A text!” Anna threw her hands in the air. “A text that only said: _‘Everything’s good, we talked about it.’_ What kind of text is that?!”

Anna was taking off her shoes and walked back to leave them at the entrance, shrugging off her jacket and putting it with Elsa’s to go back to the living room. Elsa grimaced and separated her dry clothes from Anna’s.

“I got home pretty late, I didn’t want to wake you up,” she reasoned.

Anna had disappeared in her apartment and Elsa walked to the guest room to find her sister ruffling through her spare clothes.

“And I woke up to a lame text, that’s why I’m here. Seriously, was it that hard to schedule something to tell me what happened?”

She sounded hurt and Elsa gave her a half shrug, looking down at her feet.

“I’m sorry. You were pretty much against me meeting her again, I didn’t think you’d approve. 

Anna walked up to her, clothes changed. “Of course I approve of her, I told you that after meeting her in person. I just… I don’t want you to get hurt, Elsa.” Anna said with a small voice.

“She made a mistake and I forgave her. Turns out, it was nothing I did, more like something I have been born into.”

“Wait, what?”

Elsa grabbed her sister’s hand and pulled her out of the room and into the living room. “There are some things we need to discuss. And I was being dumb, I know you approve of her, I told Honeymaren that much.”

“Oh, did you?” Anna raised an eyebrow. “Then I’ll have to do something about that, can’t have her knowing how much I like her.”

“I also warned her you would do something.”

“Elsa!” Anna groaned. “You’re no fun.” But her words had no real bite to them.

They went to the kitchen first; Elsa to retrieve her mug and Anna to prepare herself a coffee. She didn’t really like tea. Elsa argued that too much caffeine would be bad for her heart. Anna stuck out her tongue.

“So,” Anna started when they were seated. “What did you guys talk about yesterday? How did you make up?”

“Well, when I got there she was already on a table. She looked horrible and miserable; after our talk, she told me half of that was because she had been up all night looking for a dog before sending me that text, and that’s why she sounded off.”

Anna nodded. “I’ll buy that excuse. Continue.” 

Elsa smiled slightly. “She never knew where I worked, and she didn’t really know who I was. The reason why she acted as she did was because our grandfather tricked her people thirty-four years ago into some kind of abusive contract that they haven’t been able to get out of, and because of that, they became invisible to the entire city. She didn’t go into details, but any business they had in the city basically disappeared.”

Anna’s mouth was open in a horrified expression. “Grandfather did what?”

“He did.” Elsa sighed. “I guess being offered to work for the company that ruined the lives of everyone she knows might have caused some panic.”

“How could we not know that?”

Elsa shrugged. “I have no idea, it wasn’t on the papers father left for me; I don’t even know if he knew about it.”

Anna shot up from her seat. “We have to do something!” 

Elsa was startled, but she had expected this kind of reaction from her sister. She smiled.

“We will, Anna, I’m asking Oaken first thing tomorrow to pull any and every document from thirty-four years ago. There has to be something in them.”

“I’ll help you.” Then she scrunched up her face. “But we can’t do it first thing. I have a meeting with Weselton Corp. And I need you to be there for the first half of it. That will give Oaken enough time to pull out the documents, I’ll tell Kai to help him too.”

Elsa furrowed her brows. “I didn’t know I had a meeting on Monday. There was nothing on my desk when I left on Saturday.”

Anna sighed. “I know, they only told us at literally the last second. Kai was almost through the door when his phone ringed and Mr Weselton’s assistant told us of the meeting.”

“I thought we left it clear that we were not doing business with them any longer.”

“And that’s what Kai told Mr Weselton’s assistant, but she said it was out of her hands because the CEO was not there, and she couldn’t cancel the meeting.”

Elsa sighed. “I’ll be there, but I will be clear that Arendelle will not be doing any business transactions with them.”

Anna squeezed her sister’s hand. “I know. Why do you think they’ve arranged a meeting so out of the blue?”

Elsa side-glanced her sister. “My guess? They know I’m no longer CEO, so they probably want a new contract with the new CEO.”

Anna snorted. “Well, then they are idiots. No way am I doing business with them, not after what happened at that party.”

Elsa released the breath she didn’t know had been holding. “Good, that’s good.”

Anna clapped her hands on her thighs, startling Elsa. “But before we start thinking about that, why don’t you continue telling me about yesterday?”

Elsa pulled a small smile, grateful for her sister and because the memories from the day before resurfaced.

“She actually bought me a coffee, a _date_ coffee.” Elsa waited for her sister’s screams to die down before continuing. “She suggested we got out of there and then we had a really nice stroll through the city. She bought me a hot-chocolate before we ended the day with her walking me to my car.”

Anna was looking at her expectantly, eyes wide. “And?”

“And she seemed to hesitate, but I decided to go for it and kissed her on the cheek.”

Anna cheered and body-slammed her sister to the couch, Elsa fell backwards into the cushions and laughed.

“I’m so proud of you!” Exclaimed Anna.

“Really?” Asked Elsa sheepishly.

“Yes! I know how hard it is for you to follow your heart, and the fact that you went for it? That’s incredible, Els! Can’t wait to see what else you have in store for that girl, I can even give you some tips.” She finished with a smirk and a wiggle of her eyebrows.

“Anna!” Elsa laughed and pushed her sister off of her with a disgusted face.

“I have so many things to teach you!” Anna screamed from the couch while Elsa got up and carried their glasses to the kitchen.

“I haven’t asked you to share them!” Elsa replied from the kitchen. She heard her sister giggle, and then Anna appeared at the door. “Are you staying for lunch?”

Anna pouted. “Can I stay the night too? Kristoff has taken our sons to visit his family; he had a case close-by and he jumped to the occasion of having some Valley-time.”

Elsa smirked while she took some take-out pamphlets, showing them to Anna so she could choose what to eat. “Mrs Valley giving you a hard time?”

Anna rubbed her chin looking at the papers and selected two. “This one for lunch, this one for dinner.” She sighed. “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and how loving they are, but lately they’ve been suggesting how I should pop up the question.”

Elsa’s eyes widened. “Are you going to ask Kristoff to marry you?”

“Not yet! I love him, and I think he is the one, but we have many years down the line, there’s no need to rush.”

Elsa was internally relieved to hear her sister say those words. “What does Kristoff think of that?”

They went back to the living room, slumping on the couch.

“Oh, he feels the same. We’ve talked about it; with me on my first year as CEO and with him and his job, we feel it's better if things settle down first. There is no rush.”

Elsa took the remote of the TV with one hand and offered it to her sister. “Then why don’t we spend the day doing nothing?”

Anna smiled and turned on the TV.

*** 

“Good morning!” Honeymaren smiled brightly as she crossed the threshold of the shelter.

Ryder was behind the front desk, signing some papers and looked at his sister narrowing his eyes. “Good… morning.” It was a statement, but it came out more like a question; last time he had seen his sister she had been torn between what to do with Elsa.

Honeymaren leaned against the desk with a smile.

He pointed at her face with the pen. “I assume, by that thing on your face, that whatever happened yesterday with Elsa went okay?”

“It did!” She blushed and lowered her eyes. “We talked. I told her about our… situation, and she told me she had no idea. I believe her. Then we talked some more, I suggested we went for a walk, and we ended a very pleasant afternoon when I left her by her car.”

“And…?”

“And she kissed me on the cheek.” Honeymaren finished proudly.

With a smirk of his own, Ryder put up his hand and his sister high-fived him. “Nice! So, everything is alright?” He wanted to make sure.

“It is. I even offered to buy her a ‘date coffee’ and she let me. I’ll ask her on a proper date tomorrow, though.”

“That’s my sis!” He gave her another high-five. “Where are you going to take her?”

Honeymaren’s expression froze and she blanked. “I… have no idea. I can’t take her to the forest again, the weather’s just getting worse and worse. Maybe a restaurant? I’ll have to look into that. Oh god, I don’t even know if she has any food allergies. What if I take her somewhere and it turns out she can’t eat anything!”

Sensing his sister’s panic rise, Ryder went around the desk and grabbed her by the arms to give her a shake. “Snap out of it, Re-Re.” Then he smirked. “You haven’t even asked the girl out yet, why are you so sure she’ll say yes?”

Honeymaren looked at him with horrified eyes. “What if she says no?” She whispered.

Ryder took the opportunity to shake her harder. “Now you’re just being stupid, I thought you were smarter than me? Of course she’s going to say yes, you’ve been nothing but smiles since you got here.”

Honeymaren took a breath and she seemed to calm down. Ryder gave her another shake just in case, but his sister slapped his hands away from her. “Idiot,” she muttered. 

Ryder grinned and took the papers he had been holding. “I can’t believe you fell for that.”

Honeymaren hit her brother on his arm when he walked past her. “Yeah, well, you made a good point.”

She followed Ryder as he went to his office to leave the papers.

“Please,” he scoffed, “when you brought that girl to your date and she met me, she gave me an icy glare, but, as soon as you walked in? She was all shy smiles and double-tucking her hair. Don’t you know that girls double-tuck their hair when they like someone? Everyone knows that.”

He stored the papers on a manila folder in the cabinets behind his desk.

“She didn’t double-tuck her hair,” Honeymaren waited on the door with her arms crossed.

Ryder shrugged. “I meant metaphorically.”

Honeymaren sighed. “Please stop watching romantic comedies.”

“I will not.” He said with a smile.

She followed Ryder to the back, to the dogs. Sundays were the perfect day for families to come and meet some dogs, possibly even adopt one, and so they let the friendliest ones run and play in the first zone, paired with some of the mellowest ones to even out their energy.

“You know,” Ryder told his sister as they lead some dogs outside, “you can always invite her to your house and cook for her.”

Honeymaren was walking behind her brother, so he couldn’t see her blush. “I don’t think we’re at the point of seeing each other’s houses just yet.”

“Isn’t that a third date location? If you count your forest-walk and the coffee yesterday, that makes three.” He looked back over his shoulder to give Honeymaren a smirk.

“One day, just one day, you’re going to get what you deserve.” 

“Oh, come on, Maren-May, you know I’m right! And you never know until you ask her.”

“I’m not going to invite her to my house yet!”

“Why not?” Her sister gave him a look. “I’m not saying that so you can have sex. You’ve known the girl for what, a year? And you’ve been her friend for two months or so. I’m just saying, it wouldn’t be weird.”

They let the dogs free. The younger ones immediately ran to play; others walked far enough where the sun shone and laid down to enjoy the warmth.

“I don’t want her to think I’m inviting her to my house so we can have sex.” Honeymaren was blushing.

“You can tell her that. Or you can wear, like, fifty layers of clothing. Or something so horrendous you’ll turn her off.”

“Yeah? You would lend me your clothes for that?” She smirked.

Ryder shoved off his sister, offended. “Hey, that was rude and unprompted.”

“I told you you were getting what you deserved. So maybe a restaurant first and then _maybe_ cooking for her?” She ran the ideas through Ryder.

“A coffee date here and there wouldn’t hurt either. Now that you know where she works you can even pop in with some flowers.”

Honeymaren looked at her brother blinking rapidly. “That might just be the first honest suggestion you’ve told me.”

“Hey! I suggested cooking for her.”

“We both know you weren’t serious.”

A family of two kids was led to the field by Norá, who greeted the siblings with a nod. The kid ran up to the dogs, the animals waved their tails, excited.

“I need to get back to work,” Ryder told his sister. “You are welcome to help around, I think Emel needed some help with the horses.”

“I’ll go to him in a second, I’m going to take Gale with me.”

Her brother scoffed. “Tell that devil I said hi, and tell her to stop eating my beanies.” He turned around and walked inside.

Honeymaren stood watching the pair talk to Norá about some of the dogs. The young woman was passionate about them, and that was why it was so great to have her talk to the families that came in. She also knew how to read people, and whether or not someone was suited for adopting an animal.

Her eyes roamed to the kid, who was playing fetch with the dogs, and she saw the elkhound she had been training excitedly run up and down following the tennis ball, and being rewarded with kisses when she managed to take it.

She felt a painful tug on her chest. She shouldn’t have fallen for that dog, but there were too many good memories with her and Elsa. She felt sad at the idea that maybe this family would be the one to adopt her, but she reminded herself that that was a good thing, that the dog could have a good family.

In the end, she turned to go back inside, not wanting to wait around and see if they took her. She walked to Gale’s cage to let her out. The ferret squealed and perched herself on Honeymaren’s neck; for precaution, she put a small collar on her and tied the leash to one of the hoops of her trousers. It was long enough to allow Gale to jump to the ground or stay perched on her shoulders, but it wouldn’t let her run away.

They walked towards the stables, Gale perched on her head, and the kid pointed at her to his parents when they passed by.

“I’m going to ask Elsa on a date tomorrow, Gale.” Honeymaren mentioned when they were alone.

Gale squealed.

“Nope, you’re not allowed to come.”

Gale squealed sadly.

“But I will bring her again so you can see her, don’t worry. It’s gonna snow in the coming weeks, so we won’t be able to take the horses until the weather gets better. You know, there’s a beautiful lake not far from here. It’s hidden, so you have to know it’s there if you want to visit it. Do you think Elsa would like that?”

Gale jumped down from her head to her shoulder and nibbled on her ear before walking across her back to the other to nibble on it.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

They arrived at the stables. The horses there looked at them with curiosity, but Emel was nowhere to be found. Honeymaren entered the small building where he had his office.

“Emel? Are you here?”

The old man appeared behind a door holding some boxes. “Oh, dear, what are you doing here?”

Honeymaren pointed behind her. “Ryder said you might need some help.”

“Oh, yes, yes. Here, take these.” He dumped the boxes in her arms and motioned to follow him. “Vállju already took care of the other horses before he left, but you can still clean Nokk’s stable while I check on her.”

That made Honeymaren worry, if anything had happened to Elsa’s horse, the woman deserved to know. “Is everything okay with her?”

He waved her off. “Yes, yes, it’s just routine after a couple of weeks here. The check-ups will be fewer and far in between from now on; I just want to make sure, who knows what the previous owners did to her.”

“Good, good.”

Honeymaren walked with him to the inside of his clinic where Nokk was already tied and waiting. He told her to put the boxes on a table while he left to change into his work clothes.

“Hi, girl,” she slowly walked to the horse, who watched her unmoving.

Nokk let her stroke the side of her head and her mane without a fuss. Unfortunately, Honeymaren had forgotten that she had a very mischievous animal on her, and so Gale jumped from her shoulders to the horse’s head, making her spook.

“Shit, Gale!”

She put her arms up, ready to catch the ferret if it went flying from Nokk’s head, but the horse settled down, and Gale was just content with nibbling her ears.

“What is with you and ears?” Honeymaren wondered out loud.

Fortunately, Nokk didn’t seem too worried about the ferret on top of her head after the initial fright, and she let Gale walk all over her with the occasional snort and nicker.

“Thank you, Nokk, and I’m sorry.” Honeymaren caressed Nokk as she walked beside Gale, who had decided to now munch on the horse’s mane.

Nokk bumped her head on Honeymaren’s stomach and then, turning her head so she could face Gale, huffed loudly making Gale jump. Honeymaren laughed and retrieved an irritated Gale from Nokk when Emel came back.

“Unlikely friendship, those two,” he told her looking over his glasses. “But she’s been on her best behaviour since your friend came in.”

“I’m glad. I’m gonna suggest we come up here to visit her horse, even though we can’t take her for a walk.”

Emel put on some gloves. “That would do Nokk good. Now, dear, if you wouldn’t mind, I have work to do.”

“Of course, Emel.” She nodded at the man and exited the place, heading for the stables once again to clean up Nokk’s.

She also took out her phone and snapped a photo of Gale and herself to send to Elsa, knowing that would make her smile. She made a note to send her one of Nokk, and wondered if she’d be able to send her one of the elkhound or if she had already been adopted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Holds the ferret in my hands*  
> I just think Gale is neat
> 
> So this one is a little slow because it bridges Part 01 (chapters 01 to 11) and Part 02 (chapters 13 to 20) but I promise you next chapter... _Things_ start to move forward...


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I apologise to any lawyers (Part 1) because I took your fancy words and strung them together
> 
> Also, you are welcome
> 
> Thanks [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) for being my editor ^^

Elsa didn’t want to do this.

Well, she did, but she didn’t want her sister hovering behind her like a CCTV camera. But alas, she had let her sister sleep on a Sunday at her home and now she had to deal with the consequences.

It was Monday.

Which meant Monday tradition.

Which involved going to the flower shop to buy her usual.

A flower shop that Honeymaren owned.

And after the weekend, things between them were new and fragile, and she was very eager to see Honeymaren.

But it also meant going to see Honeymaren with her sister because she hadn’t been able to force Anna to stay in the car.

So, there they were, Elsa was taking deep breaths in front of the flower shop with Anna by her side sporting a shit-eating grin.

“Come on, Els,” Anna told her. “Or are you afraid I’ll embarrass you?”

Elsa took a final breath to calm down and shot her sister an icy glare before opening the door.

Honeymaren’s head perked up from where she was kneeling, and Elsa’s insides fluttered with butterflies when her face turned from focused on whatever she was doing to a smile at seeing her.

“My favourite customer,” she teased. “You’re here for your usual, right?”

Elsa closed her eyes and blushed, knowing Anna would never let this one go. She opened her eyes to see the confusion in Honeymaren’s that soon turned into understanding with a dash of redness to her cheeks when Anna appeared behind her.

“So, this is how she normally greets you?” Anna threw her head back, laughing.

“I’m so sorry for her,” Elsa rushed forward to explain. “She wouldn’t wait outside no matter what I said.”

Honeymaren recovered quickly with a chuckle. “It’s alright.”

“Good morning, Maren,” Anna waved at the florist with a smile.

“Good morning, Just Anna,” Honeymaren greeted back. Then she looked at Elsa. “I have your sister’s flowers back here, give me a second.”

She squeezed Elsa’s hand and, with a wink, walked to the back room. Elsa turned around to warn Anna with a look, but her annoying little sister fanned herself and gave Elsa a playful look.

Honeymaren’s voice came through the door. “Don’t think this means you get to see them yet, Anna.”

Anna let out an offended noise and Honeymaren smirked at her.

“Thank you so much,” said Elsa. Then she turned to her sister. “Anna.” It sounded something between a command and a question.

“Fine.”

Her sister rolled her eyes at Elsa and threw her hands up in defeat to turn around and investigate the flower shop. It would mean that now Elsa and Honeymaren had a chance to talk somewhat in private.

“Didn’t think your sister would plan her attack so soon,” Honeymaren smiled teasingly.

Elsa waved a hand. “Oh, this is not it, my sister likes to know her target’s weaknesses first. Kristoff had to work early today so he stayed at his family’s house; Anna stayed with me,” she explained.

Honeymaren hummed while wrapping the bouquet. “I uh… Wanted to know if you would like to go out with me? On a date?” She was looking down at her hands, playing with the wrapping paper in a nervous gesture.

Elsa smiled, waiting in silence until Honeymaren met her eyes. “I would love that.”

“Really?” She said with a dopey smile.

Elsa blushed slightly. “Really. Do you want me to plan it?”

“No, no. I’d like to plan this one myself.”

“Next one is on me, then.”

They got lost in each other's eyes, Honeymaren’s hand on top of Elsa’s.

Until a voice spoke up. “Not to spoil the moment, which I totally am doing, but Elsa, if we don’t leave now, we’ll be late, and we have to deal with the weasel man.”

Elsa and Honeymaren broke apart; Honeymaren went to the register and Elsa tucked a random strand of hair behind her ear.

“ A weasel is not the animal I would use to describe him,” Elsa murmured.

She paid for the bouquet and Anna went to the door.

“Here,” Honeymaren reached out and on top of the wrapped present, she laid a flower. “A violet, for you.”

With a gentle smile, Elsa caressed the petals. “Thank you.”

With a last longing look, Elsa turned around and left the shop behind her sister.

***

“Elsa, here you have what you asked me for, Kai is double-checking that we have everything.”

Oaken left a hefty pile of documents neatly on Elsa’s desk to the side, to avoid disturbing what she was already working on. She thanked him before continuing writing on the computer.

The meeting had been a disaster. It had led to nothing but a headache for Elsa and had fouled Anna’s mood. Mr Weselton just didn’t understand why he couldn’t do business with them anymore now that Elsa was not in charge, and Elsa knew her sister had wanted to explain exactly why in a less than professional way.

At least now she could finish the report to send to her subordinates and start reading the files her grandfather had filed on Northuldra.

“Shit.” After hours of going through the files and having been reminded to eat by Oaken, Elsa had finally found something.

She grabbed the papers and almost bolted from her seat to get to her sister’s office. The door was open, and Anna was dealing with her own paperwork with a frown on her face.

Elsa nodded at Kai and knocked on the door, entering without waiting. The frown followed Anna from the paper to the person at the door, but it disappeared when she realised it was her sister.

“Elsa, hey, everything alright?” Her usual cheer was not present.

“I think I found something on what grandfather did to the Northuldra, take a look at this.”

Elsa passed the papers to Anna and waited for her sister to finish reading them, anxiously wringing her fingers.

“This is not good…” She looked at Elsa. “How could he do this? He basically banned them from ever having a successful business or doing business with someone he didn’t want to. And all that for a piece of land he never even cared for?”

“Will we be able to get them out of this mess?” Elsa asked with concern in her voice.

“We’ll have more success than Maren and her people because we were the ones to draft it, but it will take time.” She shuffled the papers. “This shouldn’t even be legal; these clauses are clearly abusive. This contract never should’ve been made official.”

Elsa understood what her sister wasn’t saying. “Runeard bribed someone to make this happen, right?”

Anna nodded and Elsa sighed.

“What do we do?” Elsa asked.

“We give this to our lawyers and see what they can do. I know I have a degree in Law, but this is out of my capabilities.”

“Could we employ Honeymaren to decorate for the winter party?”

Anna leaned back, papers in one hand and rubbing her chin with the other. “I mean, it explicitly says here ‘Arendelle Inc will not do business with any Northuldra owned or operated business’. It goes deeper into details later on, I won’t explain those, but short answer: no.”

Elsa closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “There isn’t anything we can do short term?”

Anna hesitated. “I mean… Out of the blue? I can think of doing it the shitty way. We, as Arendelle Inc., hire you, Elsa Rindell, the individual, to be the decorator of the party. Then you, Elsa Rindell, can buy the flowers from Honeymaren and ask your friend for some help putting them up in the room.”

Elsa blinked rapidly. “Does the contract allow that? We wouldn’t be breaking it?”

“It just speaks about the company in general, it says nothing about our family, I think.” Anna gave a half shrug while shuffling the papers. “I guess the old man died before he could pass his hatred for them onto us.”

“Thank god we never met him.” She nodded to herself.” If you think we can do it that way, I want to be sure before I talk to Honeymaren.”

“I’ll put our lawyers on it right now. It will be done by the end of the week, sooner, if I have anything to say.”

“Thank you, sis, I’ll leave you to it.”

Elsa left Anna’s office followed by her sister’s voice calling their lawyers. They got paid a substantial amount, so they had better solve it, Elsa thought as she entered her office. She gave Oaken the rest of the files so he could give them to the lawyers when they arrived and sat on her desk, wanting to fill Honeymaren in on what they had found but not wanting to give the girl false hope.

***

It was Thursday, eleven in the morning, and Elsa was finishing the list of invites to the winter party, even though it included people she didn’t especially like.

“Ms Rindell?” Oaken’s voice spoke through the intercom. “You have a meeting with Ms Rindell and your lawyers at eleven thirty in conference room number three.”

“Thank you, Oaken.”

The notification of the meeting popped up on her computer’s planner. This meant that their lawyers had found something, and they wanted to go through the official channels instead of informally telling them about it.

She really hoped it was good news; Honeymaren and she were going to meet the next day for their date. The other woman hadn’t said where they were going or what they were going to do, she had only told Elsa to dress comfortably and outdoorsy.

When five minutes to the meeting remained, Elsa took her planner and walked to her sister’s office to retrieve her before they went to the conference room, where their lawyers had already laid down several documents.

They sat down opposite them.

“Shall we start?” The redhead said.

The lawyers spent over two hours explaining all the little details about the contract Runeard had made thirty-four years ago, pointing out all the nuances and why the other party hadn’t been able to nullify it. The good news was that Anna would be able to do it, but it would take time, maybe three months, until all the safeguards that Runeard had put in case someone tried to do what they were about to do were no more.

“And the thing we talked about?” Asked Anna towards the end of their meeting.

The lead lawyer, a woman in her fifties, spoke up. “As long as paperwork is in order, it shouldn’t interfere with this contract, even though the person, Ms Rindell, is buying the flowers from a Northuldra. The Rindell family is never mentioned; all these clauses only apply to Arendelle Inc. You should be safe.”

“Thank you so much for your work,” Elsa said releasing a sigh.

One of the lawyers, a man, hesitated. “There is one more thing.”

The sisters had been about to get up, but they frowned and sat down at his serious tone. 

“What is it?” Asked Anna.

The lawyers shared a look, and the leader spoke. “The first contract was made with a duration of twelve years. Runeard died four years after the first signing which means…”

“Which means father knew of the contract and he continued signing it,” finished Elsa for her.

The older woman nodded.

The sisters shared a sombre look.

“Why wasn’t I made aware of this when I was CEO?” Elsa asked.

“I assume it is because you didn’t need to sign it just yet; the person responsible for the upkeep of the payments and the signing would probably contact you when it was about to expire. Or rather, Anna, now that she is the CEO.”

“And who is that person?” Anna asked.

The third person shuffled the papers until they found what they were looking for. “Mattias Kelby, the previous CFO.”

Elsa looked at Anna and the latter nodded and spoke. “We’ll talk to him. In the meantime, you keep working on untangling this mess as soon as possible. I assume we will need to meet with the Northuldra representative?” The lawyers nodded. “We’ll set up a meeting with them and their lawyers too, we’ll notify you.”

With everyone in agreement, they concluded the meeting.

“Hey, Elsa,” Anna called for her sister before she could get to her office. “I know I’m the boss and all that, but since you know Honeymaren, would you like to be the one to tell her the news? And like, talk to their representative and all that.”

“Oh. I can do that. I’ve been waiting to talk to Honeymaren about it, but I wanted to wait until we knew something for sure. I can tell her tomorrow.”

Anna leaned on her office door. “Oooh, it’s true, you’ve got your date tomorrow! Has she told you what you’re doing?”

“No,” Elsa answered with a fond smile. “Only to dress warm.”

“Huh, I wonder what she’s planning. And you? Do you have anything in mind that you’d like to do with her?”

Elsa froze, her mind going to the gutter. “Anna, I hope you’re not implying…”

Anna seemed to realise the second meaning of her words and scrunched up her face, shaking her head. “Elsa!”

“You’re the one-”

“I meant as in a date!”

Elsa chuckled at the sudden embarrassment of Anna. “I want to take her to Cook’s restaurant. And I want to invite her to the winter party.”

“Two dates in such a short time. Let’s hope she has time. And speaking of winter parties, is everything in place?”

Elsa nodded. “Invitations are being sent and the catering is already ordered; the menu is varied enough to keep in mind any alimentary restrictions anyone might have. Place is ours, security will be there, and we just need you to sweet talk the attendees.”

“Finally, something I’m good at.”

Elsa slapped lightly her sister on the arm. “Anyway, tomorrow I’ll be off a little earlier than usual so we can take advantage of the sunlight.”

“No problem, enjoy your date!” Anna kissed her sister’s cheek and entered her office, Elsa going to hers.

She took out her phone to text Honeymaren.

_**Elsa:** I have some good news,  
but you’ll have to wait  
until tomorrow_

_**Honeymaren:** why? :(_

_**Elsa:** Well, I could tell you now,  
but you have to let me  
know where we’re going first_

_**Honeymaren:** Nice try, but I can wait_

_**Elsa:** :( _  
_**Elsa:** Not fair _

_**Honeymaren:** All is fair in war  
See you tomorrow! :D_

Elsa bit her lip at that last text, filling in the words that weren’t said. It was too soon to speak about love, but she was definitely heading into that direction.

***

“Hey!”

Elsa called Honeymaren as she approached, the other woman closing up her shop.

“Elsa, hi!” Honeymaren smiled at her and pocketed the keys.

Honeymaren was wearing faded jeans and a green sweater, with a bomber jacket left open and her usual beanie. Elsa, following Honeymaren’s instructions, wore comfortable black jeans, a grey turtleneck sweater, and an off-white overcoat paired with her comfiest heels.

“You look beautiful,” said Honeymaren making Elsa blush.

“You’re not too bad yourself.”

Honeymaren grinned. “I changed in the back room, couldn’t meet you with a dirty shirt.”

Elsa chuckled. Honeymaren offered her arm, like last time, and Elsa took it. The fact that Elsa was wearing heels made the height difference a little more noticeable, but, nevertheless, Elsa leaned into Honeymaren.

“Can you tell me now where we are going?” Honeymaren was leading them in the opposite direction to the dog park.

“There is a small fair not too far from here, and I thought we could check it out.”

“Sounds perfect, I didn’t know there was something like that.”

Honeymaren chuckled. “One of my other customers mentioned it the other day. I know the usual thing to do on a first date is to go to a restaurant, but I thought we could try something different.”

“It’s perfect, honestly. I do want to take you to a restaurant, so it means that on my turn we will be following the ‘dating rules’.”

Honeymaren huffed a laugh. “Well, you do look like someone who strictly follows the rules.”

“Are you calling me a stick-in-the-mud? I’ll have you know I jumped onto a wild horse once.” She teased.

Honeymaren laughed, remembering the day. “You did, and you almost gave me a heart attack. I have no idea what went through your mind that day.”

Elsa shrugged. “I doubt I thought about it too much. You know I sometimes have… impulse control issues.”

“Now I’m a little scared of what else may happen in the future.”

Elsa chuckled and rolled her eyes. “This might be another impulsive thing, but would you like to come with me to my winter party? As my date?” She blushed, not looking at Honeymaren.

Honeymaren stopped them and turned to face Elsa, who looked at her when they stopped walking. “I would love to.”

Elsa smiled sheepishly and Honeymaren returned the smile. With a wink, she continued walking, taking Elsa with her.

“It’s on the twenty-eight, Saturday.”

“I can make it.” She nodded. “The shop closes down the twenty-third; the next couple of days are always crazy, but I should have no problems getting someone else to take care of the shop that day.”

“I’ll text you the details. And speaking of the winter party.” She waited a few seconds in anticipation. “Would you be willing to decorate for us with your flowers?” She smirked at Honeymaren.

The other woman opened her mouth in surprise. “Are you for real? What we talked about… that doesn’t get in the way?” Her eyes shone with excitement.

“We found all the contract papers. They are… a mess, but we’re working on them. It doesn’t look good, but fortunately, I’ve got a sister with crazy ideas that somehow seem to work, so you’re good to work for us. Or, rather, me.”

“You?”

“Yup. My grandfather was… very _thoughtful_ , and he made it so that the company would never trade with Northuldra but,” she emphasised before Honeymaren could say anything, “he said nothing about the Rindells. The company will hire me, and I will hire you.”

“Why not do it through a third party?”

“Because I’m not a business, I’m an individual. The contract would be upheld if we were to hire you through any number of companies.”

“Huh. Your sister is clever indeed.”

“She did skip a university year.”

The sounds of people and stalls could be heard before being seen. The fair was set up in a park and it wasn’t very big, there were mostly vendors’ stalls and those selling food, with a couple of attractions for kids. But there was music and lights and kids running, and there was a performance with fire on a stage in the middle of the park.

Honeymaren and Elsa walked through it slowly, Elsa showing special attention to the stalls that sold winter-themed objects, although she didn’t buy anything for herself. Honeymaren tried and failed spectacularly at trying to open a wooden puzzle box when the vendor challenged her, and Elsa did not do better. Honeymaren ended up buying that for Ryder and Elsa bought a pair of matching winter hats for Anna and Kristoff.

“Are you hungry?” Honeymaren asked Elsa after they watched the next performance.

“Huh? Oh, I could eat something.”

“Stay here, be right back.”

Honeymaren left Elsa’s side with a quick peck on the cheek and went to the nearest food stall, which happened to sell krumkakes. Elsa had told her that growing up, she and Anna would bug their cook until she relented and baked them their precious dessert, so Honeymaren waited in line to buy them. She paid for their treat and walked to where Elsa was, but she had to pause in her way back seeing the adorable scene in front of her.

Elsa was making funny faces to a kid atop her dad’s shoulders, and the kid was laughing unabashedly and returning the weird faces, with her dad looking up at her with fondness in his eyes.

Honeymaren smiled, totally smitten by Elsa, before starting to walk again.

“Hey, here you go,” Honeymaren offered one of the sweets to Elsa, who took it with delightful surprise.

“You remembered!” Elsa gasped.

“Of course,” Honeymaren smiled. “I can’t promise it will be as good.”

“Dad!” The kid yelled, “I want one too!”

The kid pouted at her father, who laughed.

“Of course you do.” He then looked at Elsa and Honeymaren. “Enjoy your date.”

Honeymaren thanked the man and looked at Elsa, who had blushed a lovely shade of pink at his words. She was smiling at her, and Honeymaren gave her another peck on the cheek.

“What was that for?” Elsa asked with a confused smirk.

Honeymaren shrugged. “You’re cute.”

Elsa blushed and looked down with a grin. They ate their treat while listening to the band that had gone up the stage, and when they finished it, Elsa interlaced her fingers with Honeymaren’s, smiling at her through her eyes.

The festivities were dying down and the fair was filling up with more teenagers than families, so Elsa and Honeymaren decided to head back home. Before they left, Elsa bought both of them a cup of hot chocolate because the coldness of the night was getting more prominent, and so, they walked towards Elsa’s home with a warm cup in one hand and their free arms linked.

They walked mostly in silence, enjoying each other’s company, and after what seemed mere minutes, they were in front of Elsa’s building, Honeymaren with her back to the door.

“This is me,” she said. Her voice was soft, not wanting to disturb the silence.

“Thank you for agreeing to go on a date with me.” Honeymaren smiled.

They stood in silence, not wanting to leave but knowing their date had to end there. Honeymaren suddenly felt nervous and licked her dried lips. Elsa’s eyes followed the movement, and Honeymaren’s heart started beating loudly.

“Elsa, I-”

Elsa looked up, and Honeymaren could see her eyes had darkened with desire. Honeymaren’s words stuck in her throat and then she couldn’t say anything because Elsa’s soft lips were on hers. Elsa’s lips moved against hers, and Honeymaren’s hands went to Elsa’s hips, pulling them closer.

They pulled apart to take a breath, but they didn’t move their heads away, Honeymaren leaning her forehead against Elsa’s.

With her eyes closed, she felt Elsa’s cold fingers run through her jaw, caressing her cheekbone and then following the path down to her neck and to the nape.

Honeymaren opened her eyes to watch the emotions play out on Elsa’s face, whose eyes were still closed. Her cheeks were rosy, her breath coming irregularly, her lips a little swollen. Elsa smiled and finally opened her eyes.

“That was…”

“Yeah…”

Honeymaren closed the distance once again and both women were lost to sensation.

A clearing of a throat behind Honeymaren made them part away, and Honeymaren turned around, shielding Elsa behind her.

The man in front of her was enormous, with arms three times the size of her own, and stood three heads taller than Honeymaren. His face was contorted into a snarl and he was narrowing his eyes at her.

Honeymaren swallowed. “Do you have a problem?” She asked. Her voice wavered a little, she wasn’t sure if she could take this man on a fight, but she’d be damned if she let him hurt Elsa.

The man crossed his arms, but ignored her to look past her at Elsa. “Is this woman bothering you, Miss Rindell?”

Elsa giggled behind her, sighing against Honeymaren’s back, but she raised her head to look at the man. “No, Marshmallow, she is definitely not bothering me. We’re good, thanks.”

Marshmallow gave Elsa a nod, narrowed his eyes again at Honeymaren, and turned to go back inside the building.

Confused, Honeymaren turned to look at Elsa, who had a ‘busted’ look.

“Who was that?” She asked the blonde woman.

“Marshmallow. He…” she chuckled. “He was security at my last apartment and he kinda moved with me so he could ‘protect’ me, in a way. He works as a doorman, but also provides security. Please don’t take him too seriously; he’s a softy on the inside, that was probably his way of teasing us.”

Now that the misunderstanding was cleared, Honeymaren relaxed and chuckled too.

“I guess that was my cue.” She said. “I should let you get some sleep.”

Elsa took Honeymaren’s hands in hers. “Could we do this again? Soon?”

“The kissing or the date?” Honeymaren teased.

Elsa smiled. “I wouldn’t be opposed to either.”

“Maybe next week? Things are going to get pretty hectic with the holidays and whatnot, but I want us to spend more time together.”

“Me too.” Elsa leaned forward for another soft kiss. “Next week it is, then. Thank you for today.”

“It’s been my pleasure.”

Honeymaren kissed Elsa, lingered perhaps a little too long for it to be considered chaste, but she couldn’t help herself.

Elsa broke the kiss with a smile, and Honeymaren took a deep breath to get back to her senses, watching Elsa enter the apartment building. She saw her wave at the burly man, who, in turn, looked to where Honeymaren was and crossed his arms again. Honeymaren waved at him sarcastically and left for her car.

Once she was inside, she bit her lip and giggled, throwing her head back into the headrest. She couldn’t wait to see what would come next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, did you like it??  
> (¬¬
> 
> (Maren, you gay bean)
> 
> HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAGNIFICENT ART BY [garseeya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/garseeya/pseuds/garseeya) ABOUT THE ELSAMAREN KISS???? YOU HAVE TO SEE IT ->>> [The Kiss](https://www.instagram.com/p/CCNcErSF-hA/) IT'S AMAZING!!!!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I apologise to any lawyers (Part 2) because I took your fancy words and strung them together
> 
> Thanks to my amazing editor [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) (what would I do without your help? T^T)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAVE YOU SEEN THIS AMAZING ART BY [garseeya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/garseeya/pseuds/garseeya) ABOUT LAST CHAPTER'S [KISS](https://www.instagram.com/p/CCNcErSF-hA/)?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
> 
> I've reached my peak with that amazing art, I'm just going downhill from now on and I happily accept my fate

Elsa spent the next two days on cloud nine. 

Sunday morning was spent cleaning her house and, in the afternoon, she gushed to Anna about her date over some drinks when they went for a walk with Olaf.

On Monday, she woke up energised and feeling butterflies in her stomach. Honeymaren waited for her with the same excitable energy, and they only realised Elsa had to go to work when a client showed up at Honeymaren’s shop. Elsa left the flower shop with Anna’s usual present and a small bucket-like vase with very colourful flowers Honeymaren said were pansies.

That very same day, Elsa managed to finish everything she needed for the winter party; Honeymaren had freed her Thursday so Elsa could take her to the site and she could have an idea of the place she was to decorate. If everything was in order, they would meet on Friday to draw a contract between herself and Honeymaren, and Elsa and Arendelle, to which Honeymaren would attend, as well as Anna, to fulfil the part of the company.

Both Anna and she had agreed that they should hold an official meeting, with lawyers involved, to talk to the Northuldra, and more specifically Yelana, about what they planned to do with the contract that kept the Northuldra away from business. Both sisters wanted to see this through with as much respect as they could and wanted to hold their company accountable for all the troubles it had caused during the years, but they knew it couldn’t be done in a month, and even less in such a chaotic month like December, but they wanted to set the foundations for an amicable revoke of the contract.

Elsa had yet to ask Honeymaren for Yelana’s contact information to go through the proper channels; it somehow felt personal, and Elsa didn’t want to leave the scheduling of the meeting to her assistant; she had to do it herself.

But now, on Tuesday, she had finished gathering all the information the company had on the man named Mattias Kelby, who had stepped down from his role as CFO months after Elsa had been named CEO, and was currently working as a senior member on the financial accounting side of the company.

She pushed a button on the intercom. “Oaken? Can you find an opening in my calendar for a meeting with Anna and Gerda? Preferably today or tomorrow. I’ll also need Mattias Kelby called into the meeting later on, so make sure his schedule is open too, please.”

She received confirmation and, some minutes later, the intercom came to life. “The only availability I can find is tomorrow at 3 pm. Your sister is tied up with meetings today, and Mr Kelby has a senior budget meeting just before that time. Mrs McGlurg is available tomorrow, but her end of the week is already filled.”

“That would be perfect, Oaken. Call a meeting for tomorrow and let Anna know it is for the issue with Mattias Kelby.”

“Will do!”

***

Anna and Elsa sat on one side of a rectangular table in conference room five. They had revised all the documents about Mattias Kelby and now they were waiting for his successor, Gerda McGlurg, to appear.

Gerda McGlurg was a middle-aged woman both Elsa and Anna knew very well. She had been brilliantly working on finances as long as Elsa could remember, and when Elsa had been thrown into the CEO role way too soon, Gerda had offered Elsa her help. She had even found the young woman one afternoon in the bathroom, crying, because the pressure was too much for a twenty-one-years-old woman, with little to no experience running a company this big, and helped her.

So, when Elsa’s then-assistant Kai had told her that the CFO had stepped down, Elsa wasted no time in asking Gerda if she wanted to be promoted to Chief Financial Officer. It was an offer made not out of pity, or as a way to say thanks; Elsa had Kai find out if she was fit for the job and she had been. And ever since, Gerda had not disappointed either sister.

The woman entered the room and sat down close, but not next to, the sisters.

“Good afternoon, Gerda,” Anna smiled.

The woman returned the smile. “Good afternoon.” She interlaced her fingers. “Could I know why I got called up?”

“It’s nothing bad, I promise,” started Elsa. “I made you my CFO after having to manage this company, and your job has been irreproachable. We wanted you to tell us about the previous holder of your title, Mr Mattias Kelby.”

“Mattias? Has something happened to him?”

“No, we just want your professional opinion on him,” Anna assured her.

Gerda blinked. “Well, I can’t say I know him too well, he mostly keeps to himself, but when he was working for Agnarr he always made sure to know how we were doing. I didn’t work directly under him, but he made sure the morale amongst the group was high. Good work ethics too, when he stepped down and I took his place, he spent some time showing me how he managed his system so I could have an easy transition.”

“He showed you all his files? How did they work?”

“He had organised them first by priority, then by year. I must admit I didn’t give a very thorough look through the least imperative ones, but I’ve kept an eye on the payments that need to be done. I have an alarm system set up to notify me on who I have to talk to when a contract requires to be signed again, but none of my alerts about yours have gone off.”

Anna shuffled some papers. “Do you remember seeing this one?”

She passed Gerda a copy of one of the payments signed by Mattias and the latest contract signed by Agnarr.

Gerda looked at it for a couple of seconds, a pensive look on her face. “It doesn’t sound familiar, no. I can see that this was signed just a year before you had to take your father’s place,” she looked briefly at Elsa, “but it isn’t supposed to be renovated for another five years, so I don’t understand why you’re asking me about it.”

Elsa and Anna looked at each other before the latter spoke.

“Mr Kelby was involved in some not so legal activities with the signing of this contract and the payments made.” She rose a hand when Gerda opened her mouth. “Yes, they might seem legal, but the circumstances under which the other party was made to sign were unethical, to say the least.”

“I had no idea, I promise.” She swallowed, worried. “I mean, I probably saw it when I was going through Mattias’ files, and I probably deemed it not urgent enough so that’s why I don’t remember it, but-”

“Gerda, calm down,” spoke Elsa in a soft voice. “We know this is not on you. We wanted your opinion on Mattias, or if he had told you anything about it when you took over. You’re safe.”

Gerda sighed loudly, blinking rapidly.

“We are working with our lawyers to have this nullified. You’ll have to work with them for all of this to be as transparent as it can be,” said Anna.

“Of course, I’ll give them any documents they need, I’ll talk to my assistant and be prepared to give them all the time they need of me.”

“Thank you, Gerda.”

Elsa smiled at the older woman and they dismissed her.

After the door closed, Elsa stood up and looked through the window with her arms around her middle, letting out a sigh. Anna slumped over the table, groaning.

“That was something,” Anna said.

Elsa smiled sadly, although her sister couldn’t see it. “At least she’s in the clear. I would’ve hated for her to be involved in this deeper than she is, she was a big pillar for me in my early days.”

“She didn’t sign any of those documents so she should be good. That will be up to our lawyers to decide,” Anna sighed. “What do we do with Mattias?”

Elsa turned. “We shouldn’t outright call him out on it, we should lure him in. I want to know if he actively participated in this or he simply put his name and signature down. I know that both things, from a technical perspective, might seem the same, but if he was coerced into it… The more I’m learning about our grandfather the more I realise that father’s stories about him weren’t exactly true.”

“He was power-hungry.”

“And look what that brought him. Nothing. He ruined a whole village for a piece of land he ended up not using because he died, and the company had no need for it.” She sighed again.

Anna glanced worriedly at her sister and stood up. She put an arm on her shoulder and lowered her head until she could see into Elsa’s eyes. “Hey, don’t worry, we’ll clean this mess up, alright? Together.”

Elsa bit her lip and looked at Anna, then nodded. At that moment, there was a knock at the door and Anna stepped back, siding next to Elsa.

“Come on in,” the CEO said.

Mattias Kelby entered the room. He was an old man, two years short of retirement, with black skin and white hairs on his short curly hair. He stood straight, his hands behind him almost standing guard.

“Good afternoon,” he said closing the door behind him. “I was told to meet you here?”

Anna motioned for him to take a seat, and the sisters sat down after him.

“We were made aware you worked for both Runeard and Agnarr as the CFO of Arendelle?” Started Anna.

Mattias nodded. “That’s true. Although my time with Runeard was short; the bulk of my time as Chief of Finances was under Agnarr.”

“You stepped down when Elsa here rose to the CEO position. Was there any reason behind this decision? You worked well under our father’s leadership.”

Mattias frowned slightly but then schooled his expression. “I felt it was time for a change. As the company took a new direction, I felt it was time for someone else to take my place. When Mrs McGlurg was presented as my successor, I knew she was the right person to substitute me.”

“And how do you find yourself working as a senior member? Did you have any problems adapting to it?”

Mattias chuckled. “It took me a while to get used to receiving orders instead of being the one giving them, but it’s been a good couple of years. As I get older, I appreciate not having to work as much as I had to when I was in charge of finances.”

“And in your time with Runeard and Agnarr, were you part of the meetings anytime a new business opportunity came up?”

Mattias seemed to hesitate. “As much as the head of finances would. I didn’t have much input besides giving my opinion on whether a business move would be profitable or not. I had to sign the papers, of course, but Agnarr did take my suggestions more into account than Runeard ever did.”

Elsa, speaking for the first time, took the documents they had shown Gerda earlier. “Mr Kelby, are you aware of the Northuldra people?”

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on Mattias, his expression and eyes revealing he now knew why he had been called up. He sighed, his posture slumping from professional, and rubbed his forehead.

“Yes. I know them.”

“And so, you are aware of the contract that was signed thirty-four years ago.”

“I am.”

“These documents all have your signature on them, and this one dates from the first signing. Are you aware of the white-collar crimes involved in the making of this contract, right?”

Mattias let his head fall forward. “I am aware.”

“Were you coerced into signing these documents, Mr Kelby?”

He raised his head in surprise, he had been sure they were going to use him as a scapegoat and put all the blame on him. “I… I argued against it, Ms Rindell, but Runeard was a haughty man and he didn’t listen. He said he was going to do it with or without my help, but that if I didn’t sign the papers, he would fire me and make sure no other company would ever hire me. I… My wife, Halima, she was pregnant at that time, and I couldn’t risk getting fired. I know no one can verify my story, but I promise what I’m saying is the truth.” His voice was sorrowful.

Anna spoke up. “Did Agnarr know of it?”

Mattias nodded. “After Runeard’s death and when Agnarr was better situated on his role, I took my concerns to him. I spoke of nullifying the contract; I had kept an eye on Northuldra, and they were not doing well. Agnarr was a good-hearted man, and he loved his father deeply. He looked into the contract his father had made, but deemed it too risky to break, that Arendelle could lose too much. I could do nothing but continue to give my name and signature as Agnarr signed the consequent renovations.”

“Is that why you stepped down?” Asked Elsa gentler.

“It might have been a part of it, but not entirely. What I said about the company needing a fresher point of view is true, and I had spent too many years doing the same thing over and over again. When you took your father’s mantle, you started making changes for the better, and I knew my views were not suited for it, so I stepped down.”

“We appreciate your honesty.”

He took a deep breath. “What is going to happen now?”

“We’re working on untangling this mess,” Anna explained, “and we’ll take the proper actions, which means taking this to the authorities.”

“I see.”

Anna gave him a sad smile. “We’ll talk to them and inform them you acted under duress, and we’ll ask them to be lenient with you should they need you for questioning. If Arendelle should take the bigger hit then so be it, we’ll try to protect you too.”

“Thank you so much. Both of you. For what it’s worth, I know your father did not enjoy signing the papers, he did not want to keep doing it, but then you were born, Ms Rindell, and then your sister. He found himself in the same situation I had been.”

The sisters nodded, and Elsa passed him a document. “This is an NDA; we need you to sign it. Anything discussed here will not leave the room, we’ll call you if we need anything more from you. You will also need to work with our lawyers should they need information from you.”

Mattias nodded to Elsa’s words while reading through the paper. He signed it and passed it back to Elsa.

“Thank you, Mr Kelby, we’ll keep in touch.”

He exited the room with one last nod, with Anna and Elsa breaking their composure as soon as the door closed.

“That’s all for now,” sighed Anna.

Elsa bit her lip. “So, father did know about all this, but he did nothing.”

Anna looked at Elsa. “He didn’t know any Northuldra, if he did, then he would’ve done something, I’m sure.”

Elsa got up to pace. “Then what would have happened five years from now if I hadn’t met Honeymaren and learnt of their situation?”

“I’d like to think we wouldn’t have continued it. Elsa, you have a big heart, you wouldn’t just stand by when you learnt of the contract. Neither would I.” The next thought she had made her smile despite the situation, and so she told Elsa. “You know, this makes me think Honeymaren and you were always destined to meet each other.”

Elsa chuckled and shook her head. “Oh, Anna, always the romantic.”

“It is pretty romantic if you think about it!”

“No, thanks, you think about those things enough for the both of us. Now, come on, let’s tidy this up.”

They divided the copies and notes between the two of them and went to the door.

“Oh, yeah! Before I forget. Tomorrow you have to ask Honeymaren to come to your party next week.”

Elsa winced. “Must we do this?”

“Come on! You had a great time last year! And it’s not every day one turns twenty-five!”

“Actually, probably someone in the world turns twenty-five every day.”

“Don’t be a smarty-pants, you know what I mean. Kristoff’s family is going to close their bar all evening for us, it will be fun! And you can bring your girlfriend so we can meet properly, and she can meet everyone. Oh, and she can take her brother or any friend to not feel cornered.”

“Not my girlfriend, not yet.” Anna squeaked and Elsa laughed. “I’ll ask her, but I can’t promise anything.”

“Great! It’s going to be awesome, you’ll see!”

Elsa shook her head with a fond smile at the retreating form of her sister and went to her own office, where Oaken had already left her afternoon’s work on the table. She put the papers she was carrying in a drawer at her desk and got to work.

***

Elsa leaned against her car, playing with her fingers and waiting for Honeymaren to show up. They had agreed to meet directly on the building where the party would take place at nine in the morning, and it was a quarter to the agreed time.

The familiar sound of Honeymaren’s car broke her thoughts and she smiled as she saw it being parked on the other side of the street. She couldn’t help it; she was giddy to see Honeymaren again.

She saw the darker woman get off her car and turn to her, but Elsa’s smiled faltered a little when she saw Honeymaren’s hurried expression. And then her smile froze when an old woman with similar features to Honeymaren’s rounded the car.

Honeymaren looked at both sides of the road before crossing it in a jog, not waiting for the other woman. She took Elsa’s hand and looked back to see how much alone time she had before Yelana joined them.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Ryder must’ve mentioned I was going to see the place I was going to decorate, and she ambushed me this morning at my house! I would’ve texted you, but she didn’t let me!”

Elsa blinked, shaking herself from the stupor and laughing lightly at Honeymaren’s worried expression.

“It’s alright, I know you told me she was the previous owner of your shop. Her opinions will be gladly taken.”

“Her professional opinions are not what I’m worried about,” she grumbled just before Yelana joined them.

Elsa felt the ‘leadership’ energy Yelana exuded the instant they made eye contact. Unconsciously, Elsa straightened her spine and took a deep breath.

“Good morning, I am Elsa,” she introduced herself extending a hand and smiling.

Yelana looked her up and down and smirked, taking Elsa’s hand. “Oh, I know who you are. My grandchildren have talked a lot about you. My granddaughter here, especially.”

At her words, Elsa went beet red. _Granddaughter?!_ Elsa looked at Honeymaren with a panicked look, but Honeymaren was already pinching the bridge of her nose.

Yelana clapped her hands. “Well, shall we?” She strode forward to the entrance of the building.

Honeymaren closed the distance between her and Elsa with an apologetic look.

“ _Granddaughter?_ ” Elsa managed to gasp.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t have time to tell you!”

“Not only am I meeting your former boss, but also your grandmother!” Elsa was starting to panic. She wasn’t ready for this, she couldn’t do it.

Honeymaren took her hands and forced Elsa to look at her by lowering her head. “Hey, hey, hey. It’s going to be alright, I promise. Yelana is mostly harmless, and she already likes you.”

Elsa looked at her with disbelieving eyes. “I don’t think-”

“She does. She’s also in your side, she was the one who told me I was being an idiot for treating you like I did when I found out you were a Rindell.”

“She did?” Elsa asked sheepishly.

Honeymaren hummed in confirmation. “She did, and she was right, as always. So, if you’re too nervous to be meeting her as my family, think of her as my business associate for now. I’ll talk to her and make her behave.”

“No, no… it’s okay. It just caught me by surprise.” She took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

“I’ll be with you at all times and I’ll act like a buffer. I won’t leave you alone with her.” Honeymaren ended with a chuckle.

Honeymaren took Elsa’s hand and pulled her forward, to where Yelana was waiting for them with an impatient look.

Elsa laughed nervously, giving Yelana a glance when she passed the older woman with her granddaughter’s hand in hers, but the other woman just smirked and followed them in. Elsa gave her name at the reception desk and the man behind it told them to wait for someone to come fetch them.

They made small talk until the person Elsa had talked to on the phone, Mrs Dan, appeared from behind a corner and greeted them, taking them to the elevator and to one of the last floors of the building.

Elsa had rented the whole floor for the evening of the twenty-eight. It consisted of an open space with white tiles and high ceilings, separated by glass doors from a spacious balcony with low tables and comfortable looking armchairs. There were two dressing rooms; one which would act as a walk-in wardrobe where guests could leave their belongings, and the other one for the staff working that night. A kitchen for the catering and the appropriate number of bathrooms completed the layout of the floor, but what Honeymaren had to decorate were the ballroom and the outside space.

The woman in question was looking wide-eyed at the magnitude of the room, Yelana walked behind her with an equally impressed look. Elsa had her hands at her back, nervously waiting. Near the stage, there was an easel with the layout of the ballroom and some pins to mark where they were going to set up some tables and chairs.

Honeymaren walked to that map, looking at it with a thoughtful expression. Yelana took the opportunity to walk outside and Elsa walked up to Honeymaren.

“What do you think?” She asked the pensive woman.

“It is definitely bigger than I had anticipated. Not a bad thing,” she hurried her explanation, “but I will need more hands to help me with transport and everything once we decided on a colour scheme.”

“Don’t worry about that, you will be paid for anything extra you need.”

Honeymaren smiled. “Not what I meant. It’s a beautiful place, Elsa, I now understand why you were so excited about it. I haven’t even gone outside, but taking into account the location of the building and how high up we are, there has to be an amazing view of the ocean.”

Elsa smiled bashfully.

Yelana came back from the balcony and immediately pulled Honeymaren into a conversation of which plants and flowers would work best. They asked Elsa for input in what type of colours she preferred and what was going to be the main theme. Elsa explained to them that the staff was going to wear black and the tablecloth was going to be a very light blue, but when neither florist agreed on the type they should bring, they asked Elsa about the colour of her outfit.

Elsa hadn’t expected that, but she did have her dress already chosen, it was midnight blue. She felt Honeymaren’s eyes roam her body, and when she made eye contact with her, Honeymaren glanced away, a slight blush colouring her cheeks, which made Elsa smile.

The two Northuldra seemed to think about it and started discussing again the different options they could use while Elsa looked at them with a fond smile. But after some discussion, the thing Honeymaren had been afraid of happened when Yelana spoke.

“What about the bathrooms, we haven’t checked those. Honeymaren, go measure the vanities, all of them.”

Elsa looked worriedly at Honeymaren, who had a similar expression.

“Yelana, I don’t think-”

“Honeymaren, now.” Her tone left no room for discussion.

Honeymaren sent an apologetic look at Elsa, who swallowed and nodded at the retreating figure of the person she was dating until she was alone. With Yelana.

The older woman wasted no second. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “So, what are your intentions with my granddaughter?”

Elsa blushed, even though she had known this was coming when the older woman sent Honeymaren away.

“I- I don’t…”

“Her parents died as a consequence of having to work outside Northuldra. I know she didn’t act properly that one time, but she is my own, so I want to know exactly what you plan to do with her, or if this is all a ploy to act once again against my people.”

Elsa blinked, eyes going wide at the implications of her words.

“I don’t want to hurt her. She’s sweet, and caring, and amazing, and passionate, I would never hurt her on purpose. This… thing with her is new, but she makes me feel things I’ve never felt with anyone else before. I don’t know what the future holds… but I know that I don’t want to hurt her, and I know that I want to be with her for as long as she will let me.” Elsa knew her words meant maybe too much too soon, but she couldn’t stop herself.

Yelana’s eyes looked at her with scrutiny, searching for a lie in her words and eyes but finding none, and so, she took one of Elsa’s hands in hers.

“I can see you have a kind soul, Elsa.” She smiled. “There is something about you that feels familiar, and I know you’ll treat my granddaughter with the respect and love she deserves. Don’t let anyone else tell you you deserve anything less than the same.”

Elsa’s eyes watered at the unexpected words of acceptance, and she caught a falling tear with her finger. Honeymaren appeared in that moment, and she hurriedly moved next to Elsa, putting a hand on the small of her back.

“Are you okay?” She asked her. “Did anything happen? Did Yelana say something?”

Yelana tsked in the background, but Honeymaren ignored her. Elsa chuckled.

“I’m alright, I promise. These are not sad tears.”

Honeymaren was unsure, but she nodded and threw a glance at Yelana, who rolled her eyes.

“Come on, we’re finished here. We should let Elsa get back to work, and you and I can go to my house and put together some flower samples. Oh, and Elsa? You are invited to my house whenever you want to have tea with me; I can show you pictures of the horrendous haircut of eight-year-old Honeymaren.”

Elsa laughed through her tears at the horrified sound Honeymaren made and promised Yelana she would definitely take her up on her offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm participating in next week's elsamaren week ([‘Elsamaren Summer 2020](https://wintermoonqueen.tumblr.com/post/621591786033463296/the-magic-one-is-you-and-i-have-decided-to-put)) so there won't be a new chapter (sorry!)
> 
> But you'll get amazing one-shots from wonderful writers, so keep an eye out! :D


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *creaks the door open*
> 
> *slides update*  
> TGIF, amirite?
> 
> *slowly closes the door*
> 
> Thank you [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) for your edits, this wouldn't be possible without you.

“I hope the road here wasn’t too difficult.”

Honeymaren opened the door of her house to Elsa, who was patiently waiting outside.

It had started snowing a couple of hours ago, and the snow had followed Elsa from the city to Northuldra and Honeymaren’s house. She had been a little surprised when Honeymaren had offered to make dinner for the both of them at her house, but Elsa appreciated the gesture; they wouldn’t have to talk loudly over other people’s conversations like at a restaurant.

Elsa shook her head. “I love the snow.”

Honeymaren stood to the side to let Elsa enter, brushing some snowflakes that had fallen on Elsa’s shoulder when she passed by. She told her where to leave her coat and shoes and then, gave her a tour of the house.

It was cosier than her home, Elsa thought, taking the house in. It reminded her of Kristoff’s cabin; made of wood and stone, the place was decorated in brown and green hues, landscapes hung on the walls, and there were photos on top of the tables that showed Honeymaren’s family pictures. Honeymaren had lent her some slippers, but they weren’t really needed as the wooden floors had carpets everywhere except for the kitchen. There was a nice burnt wood smell as the fireplace in the living-room was lit.

“Your house is beautiful,” she told Honeymaren, who smiled at her.

“Thank you. I’m not going to say how long I spent cleaning this morning.”

Elsa smirked. “Oh? Were you expecting anyone in particular today?”

Honeymaren chuckled. “There was this beautiful woman I’m supposed to cook dinner for. I don’t know if you’ve seen her. Platinum-blonde hair, stunning blue eyes, the most attractive voice I’ve ever heard... She’s also kind, a little bit impulsive, and has managed to keep two plants alive!”

Elsa laughed carefreely. Her blush deepened as Honeymaren talked, and by the end of it, she had to look away, embarrassed, and unable to hide her smile.

“She sounds too good to be true,” she said.

Honeymaren tutted, lightly tapping Elsa’s nose. “It can’t be, she’s in front of me.”

Elsa rolled her eyes with a smile and stood on her toes to give Honeymaren a peck.

“Weren’t you supposed to make dinner for me?”

“You distract me.”

Elsa chuckled and took Honeymaren’s hand, leading them both from the living-room to the kitchen.

“What are you making?” Elsa asked when Honeymaren started putting things out of the fridge.

“What are we making,” Honeymaren specified. “I know you’ve told me you don’t know how to cook, but there are some basic things you can learn.” She paused. “How bad of a cook you said you were?”

Elsa shrugged. “I’ve never burnt pasta. Kristoff sometimes lets me whisk the eggs. I know how to peel potatoes?” She offered as a last resort seeing Honeymaren’s unsure expression.

“Chopping duty it is, then,” she nodded.

There was a wooden board with a knife on it on the kitchen island, and Honeymaren washed the vegetables to put them next to the board, directing Elsa there.

“Do you think you can handle cutting these into little dice without cutting yourself?” She asked.

“I- uh…” Elsa’s hands hovered over the ingredients. “I think?” She tried to sound confident.

Honeymaren chuckled and positioned herself behind Elsa. Taking the knife, she went around Elsa and took a green pepper. With expert hands, she made the first cut, and smaller ones followed, finely dicing the slice.

“See? It’s not that difficult.”

Elsa had her head tilted backwards, observing Honeymaren while she chopped. Once Honeymaren finished cutting the vegetable, she looked back at Elsa with a smirk.

“What?”

Elsa didn’t answer with words.

She took Honeymaren’s face and turned around, making their lips meet. Somewhere behind her, the knife fell from Honeymaren’s hand, but Elsa paid no attention as she changed the angle of the kiss. Honeymaren’s hands went to Elsa’s hips as she stepped closer, the edge of the island digging uncomfortably on Elsa’s back, but Honeymaren’s tongue inside her mouth made her forget all about it.

They pulled apart when the need for air became unbearable, and Honeymaren leaned her forehead against Elsa’s. Elsa took a deep breath and licked her lips.

“At this rate, we will never eat,” she whispered in the space between them.

“Then stop distracting me,” Honeymaren’s words had no bite to them, and she leaned to kiss Elsa again, who happily accepted the kiss.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Elsa said after some minutes of kissing, pushing lightly on Honeymaren’s chest, so there was some room between their bodies.

Honeymaren relented, but her arms still encircled Elsa, resting against the island where Elsa’s back met the granite.

“So, you do admit to being a distraction,” she tilted her head.

“You’re the one who is distracting!” Elsa argued with a smile. “You with your… you and… all that.”

That made Honeymaren laugh. “Wow, I can definitely see the reason you were put in charge of your company. That was very eloquent, lots of reasoning, ten out of ten commanding.”

Elsa narrowed her eyes at Honeymaren and smirked. “Do you want me to be commanding, Miss Nattura?” She asked in a sultry voice.

Honeymaren straightened, clearing her throat at the sudden feeling of fire running through her veins. She knew that if she hadn’t already been sporting a blush, she would be displaying one after Elsa’s words.

“No funny business, Miss Rindell, you haven’t even bought me dinner yet.” She pointed an accusatory finger at Elsa and smiled.

“You didn’t let me take you out, can’t this count?”

“If anything, I’m the one inviting you to dinner, I should be the one taking advantage of you, not the other way around.”

Elsa laughed unexpectedly. “So I’m the one corrupting you?”

Honeymaren put a hand on her chest. “Why, yes, I am but a pure soul at the hands of an evil queen,” she said with a fake accent.

Elsa shook her head with a fond smile. “You’re ridiculous.”

“But you like that.” She winked.

“That I do.”

That earned Elsa a peck on the lips, too fast for her to catch, and Honeymaren walked out of range.

“Now, miss, you go check on the fireplace while I get the rest of our things for dinner ready. That will give us a chance to focus on what we should be focusing.”

“I happen to like where our focus was,” Elsa muttered.

“I heard that. And we can do more of that later. If you behave.”

Elsa exited the kitchen with a smile. She walked towards the living room, observing the little trinkets on Honeymaren’s house. There was a green blanket thrown over one sofa, clearly handmade, with diamond-shaped embroidery alongside it. Elsa ran her fingers through it, feeling its softness on her fingertips. It felt familiar somehow, but Elsa dismissed the feeling to walk to the fireplace.

It had a wooden shelf above it, and Elsa smiled at the photograph of a young Honeymaren next to Yelana and Ryder. The siblings were smiling widely, holding a big fish between the two of them, and Yelana had a proud smile on her face. Next to the frame, there were a couple of wooden animal figurines, and another picture of Honeymaren, older than in the previous picture, with a wooden staff in her hands and a fighting pose.

The fire crackled, and Elsa crouched next to it, taking a metal instrument and prodding the burning logs. She sighed. She felt giddy on the inside, finally having found someone she could be herself around, someone who didn’t expect anything from her and didn’t care about her last name. Not anymore, at least.

Growing up, there had been people who wanted to get close to her because of her family’s money and connections, faking laughs and smiles, parading around the Rindell sisters just to get one step higher. If they couldn’t get to her, they went for Anna, and so Elsa did everything in her power to get those vultures away from her little sister, even though it meant being insensitive and absent in the eyes of Anna. And it had gotten even worse after their parent’s death.

But with Honeymaren, she could be playful, she could laugh and tease and joke and flirt, and she knew Honeymaren would do those things back to her with genuine intentions.

Feeling more relaxed, she stood up only to find another figurine on the shelf she hadn’t noticed earlier. That was strange. This figurine was coloured, unlike the others, and much more realistic than the wooden reindeer next to it.

“Huh.”

Then the lizard licked its own eyeball, and Elsa jumped backwards with a gasp, barely managing to keep in a squeal.

But she knocked the small table behind her when she stepped back, making the objects on it rattle.

“Elsa? You okay?” Honeymaren said from the kitchen.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m totally fine!” She said in a high pitch.

The lizard chirped, tilting its head and climbing up the fireplace, looking back at Elsa.

“No, no, no!” She whisper-yelled. “Get back here!”

But the lizard continued its way to the side of the fireplace, and Elsa put her hands up under it in case it fell. She should probably warn Honeymaren that the animal she was housing had escaped its prison, but she also didn’t want to take her eyes off in case it got lost in the house or worse, escaped.

“Honeymaren?” Elsa asked while maneuvering around a chair, making up her mind. The thing was getting closer to the ceiling, but at least they were near the kitchen.

“Yes?”

“Can you come for a second?”

“If it’s about the pictures of when I was a kid, I can show them to you later; I’m a little tied up at the moment.”

“It’s a little bit urgent.” Elsa insisted. She took her eyes off the lizard for a second to look at Honeymaren through the door, who became instantly worried seeing Elsa’s expression.

With a quick look, Honeymaren shut down the stove and cleaned her hands on a rag.

“Is everything okay? What are you doing?” Her voice was coloured with concern and curiosity.

Elsa’s eyes moved to the animal again, and she stepped to the side, following the chirping sounds of the lizard. The thing stopped from time to time to see if Elsa was following it, almost smiling when it saw she was.

“The animal you’re fostering escaped.”

Honeymaren blinked. “I’m not fostering any pets.”

Elsa’s eyes widened. “But then… what is…?”

Elsa didn’t finish her sentence, but Honeymaren’s eyes followed Elsa’s, and they widened comically when she saw the lizard up her wall.

“What the hell!?”

“This isn’t yours?!”

“He’s supposed to be at the shelter! How did he get here?!”

Elsa and Honeymaren looked at each other in different states of panic, Elsa’s hands still raised in case the animal fell off.

“What do we do?” Asked Elsa.

Honeymaren sighed. “Let me just… I must have some food for him. Maybe he can be bribed down.”

Honeymaren left Elsa’s side to go to the pantry. The little guy was now upside down, still on the wall, looking at Elsa with a smile on his face, and he licked his eyeball again.

Movement from the main door caught Elsa’s attention, and she looked that way, only to find Honeymaren’s bag moving. It was… moving slowly, as if something was dragging it but wasn’t strong enough to carry it at a constant speed.

“Honeymaren?” Elsa whispered, almost afraid of the next thing that could happen.

The woman in question appeared with a zipped bag full of… Come to think about it, Elsa didn’t want to know.

“Honeymaren, your bag is moving,” Elsa warned.

Both women turned to the front door, and, as had happened before, the bag moved another centimetre.

“Do you believe in spirits?” Honeymaren asked in a defeated voice.

“I hope you are kidding.”

“Northuldra believe elemental spirits roam the Earth, and haunt those with secrets weighing on them.”

Elsa turned to Honeymaren with a horrified expression.

“Is that true?”

Honeymaren chuckled and sighed. “The second part not really. You just apparently have a very big fan.” 

Elsa watched confusedly as Honeymaren walked to where her bag was and lifted it. Looking at Elsa, she put her hand inside and took out a happy-looking ferret from it.

“Gale?!” 

“I knew something was up when she behaved strangely well this afternoon. I just… I don’t understand how she did this, did you break Bruni out of his enclosure?” She asked the ferret.

She was holding Gale by the scruff of her neck. Gale chirped as in affirmation and then looked at Elsa. Honeymaren also looked at Elsa, who still had her hands up. Gale fought Honeymaren’s hold until she relented and let her down, and the ferret ran straight to Elsa to climb up to her hands and squeal at the lizard in a happy tone, Bruni chirping back in recognition.

“Did you… want Elsa to meet Bruni?” Honeymaren asked.

Gale squealed again, as if in affirmation.

Honeymaren opened her mouth, shut it, pinched the bridge of her nose, and put her hands up. “You know what? I’m not even going to say anything, just… Nope, I’m just going to call Ryder to let him know.”

Gale ran from Elsa’s hands to her neck, and Elsa looked up at Bruni. “Can you come down now?”

The lizard tilted his head, smiled, and jumped from the wall to Elsa’s outstretched hands. Elsa walked back to the kitchen, where Honeymaren was calling her brother.

“Animals are not supposed to behave like that,” Honeymaren said while shaking her head with a chuckle.

Elsa smiled and hid her blush, with Gale wrapped around her neck like a scarf, and Bruni sprawled on her hand, his tail around her wrist.

Honeymaren put her phone on the island, and Elsa heard the telling sound of the call on speaker.

“Hey, Maren,” Ryder’s voice sounded tired. “Now it’s really not a good time, sorry.”

“I’ve got Gale and Bruni in my house,” Honeymaren explained before her brother could hang up on her.

There was silence, and Elsa almost thought Ryder had indeed hung up.

“I’m sorry, did I hear that right? You have Gale and Bruni at home.”

“I’m assuming that’s what had you worried. I found Bruni on my wall and Gale trying to steal my bag; I assume she got them in there without any of us noticing.”

“I’d skin that little furry thing if you weren’t so attached to her.” He sighed, and Elsa and Honeymaren heard some muffled voices. “Okay, I just told Norá. She says you can bring them tomorrow.”

Honeymaren, from where she was starting the stove again, frowned. “Why not right now? It won’t take me long to get there.”

Ryder scoffed. “Have you seen the snow-storm outside? I don’t think your girlfriend will manage to get to your house in time for your date, which, I have to say, I’m very proud of you taking up on my advice.”

“Ryder…” Honeymaren warned, looking with wide eyes at Elsa.

“What? I told you it’s a great way to get chicks to your house. Some wine, good food… You’ll thank me tomorrow. If Elsa ever gets there.”

Elsa smirked. “Elsa has been here the whole time, Ryder,” she said.

There was silence and then a pained groan. “Honeymaren! Why didn’t you tell me I was on speaker?”

“Why did you have to speak like that!” His sister said in the same tone. “Whatever, I’ll bring Gale and Bruni over tomorrow, I think the enclosure I have will have to be enough for Bruni tonight.”

“Okay, I’ll leave you two lovebirds to your date. I will refrain from looking at your face from now on, Elsa. Bye!”

The two women chuckled after the call was disconnected. Honeymaren pulled back the curtains from the kitchen window; as Ryder had said, there were snowflakes rapidly dancing in the wind, more than when Elsa had arrived. She frowned.

“Ryder was right, the road back to the city is going to be a nightmare. They’ll probably have to close it for the night.”

Elsa joined her. “Does that happen often?” She petted Gale’s head, who moved to Honeymaren’s shoulder.

“Only the worst days of winter. The city’s snowplough only goes so far, and we have one for the rest of the way. But of course, to use it, they have to remember we are here.”

“I’ll have to be careful driving back home, then,” Elsa said.

Honeymaren spun her head fast and looked at Elsa as though she was crazy.

“Are you kidding? You’re not driving in that storm. You’ll have to stay the night.”

Elsa blinked, surprised at Honeymaren’s proposal. “Oh.”

“You can have my bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch; it would be very irresponsible of me to let you drive back.”

“I… thank you. But I can take the couch.”

Honeymaren scoffed. “We’ll discuss that later. For now, what do you say we cook something?”

Elsa agreed and, setting Bruni next to the board, she set to cut the vegetables that had almost been forgotten. Gale stayed on Honeymaren’s shoulder while she did the actual cooking, feeding the ferret small chunks of cheese here and there.

“Are we going to address the elephant in the room?” Elsa asked while meticulously cutting the vegetables so as not to look at Honeymaren.

“An elephant? Please, do not charm anything bigger than a horse, I don’t think the shelter could house them.” That earned her a chuckle from Elsa. “You mean my brother’s big mouth?”

“Maybe. Or we could ignore it for now.”

A noise behind her alerted Elsa that Honeymaren had stopped doing whatever she was doing on the stove. She also paused her movements but didn’t turn until Honeymaren’s hand on her hip nudged her.

“Do you want to ignore it?” Honeymaren asked her.

There was no hesitation, no anger in her eyes when she asked Elsa that question, only understanding and tenderness.

Elsa swallowed and shook her head. “No, I don’t want to ignore it.” She decided to take the first step. “Would you like to be my girlfriend?” 

Honeymaren smiled, her mouth forming dimples on both sides. “I would like nothing more.”

Honeymaren dipped her head to kiss Elsa softly, both of them smiling dumbly, which hampered their kissing, but neither minded that much, not when the thing they had thought about for the last couple of days was now real.

Eventually, they returned to their respective tasks, stealing glances when they thought the other was not looking and grinning because they couldn’t help themselves. Bruni crawled up to Elsa’s shoulder, with assurances from Honeymaren that the gecko was not poisonous, keeping her company while she followed Honeymaren’s instructions and when setting the table, their dinner in the oven. But when it was time to eat, she left the animal on the table, next to Gale.

“This is amazing!” Elsa said when she took the first bite.

Honeymaren smiled. “Thank you. It’s Yelana’s recipe; she used to make it for Ryder and me every Sunday.”

“No wonder, this is really good.” She fed a curious-looking Gale a piece.

“It’s my comfort food. Do you have any?”

Elsa mulled it over. “Does chocolate count? I don’t really know how to make anything, but our cook would often prepare us hot chocolate on cold nights. I still do that.”

They continued talking in between bites, and did the clean-up together, saving the leftovers in the fridge.

Some badly concealed yawns later, Honeymaren decided to go to her spare room and put both animals on their respective enclosures for the night and closed the door, walking back to the living room where Elsa was waiting.

“I can lend you some pyjamas, although they’re nothing but old clothes.”

“Thank you. And really, I can take the couch.” She followed Honeymaren to her room and waited at the door while the other woman rummaged through her drawers.

“I’m not gonna let you sleep on the couch, Elsa, you are my guest.”

“But I don’t want to push you out of your bed.” Elsa insisted, taking the clothes Honeymaren offered.

“Unless you move too much, I don’t think we’ll have that problem. And it’s my house, my rules, so you take the bed for now.”

Elsa hesitated. “We can share now,” it was a statement, but it came more like a question.

“Huh?”

“The bed. It’s big enough. I don’t mind sharing it.”

Honeymaren was looking at Elsa, and she blushed under her gaze. Slowly, Honeymaren’s mouth turned into a smirk. 

“Miss Rindell, what part of ‘no funny business’ did you not understand?” Honeymaren tutted.

Elsa spluttered. “It’s not- I don’t-”

Honeymaren laughed. “I don’t mind sharing either, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“I did offer, it won’t make me uncomfortable.”

Honeymaren looked intently into Elsa’s eyes and saw nothing but honesty.

“Alright, then. I’ll go change and make sure everything is closed.”

With a last smile, Honeymaren headed to the bathroom to change, and when she got back, Elsa was pulling the covers of the bed.

“Do you prefer any side?” The platinum-blonde asked.

“The closest side to the door,” Honeymaren admitted shyly.

Neither spoke while they got into bed, both looking up at the ceiling when they settled. Slowly, Elsa turned to lay on her side to look at Honeymaren’s profile. The other woman tilted her head, looking back at Elsa.

No one spoke, but their eyes said what their mouths couldn’t.

Elsa scooted closer to Honeymaren and kissed her softly, not intending to go further. She let her head fall to Honeymaren’s shoulder and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

“Good night, Maren,” she said.

Elsa felt lips on her head, and then Honeymaren spoke.

“Good night, Elsa.”

***

Elsa slowly came back to consciousness with warmth at her back and a smaller one at her front. Expecting to see the familiar body of Olaf, she blinked with a sigh, but there was no animal there, only an arm around her middle.

Remembering the previous day, she turned in Honeymaren’s embrace to face the other woman, who was sleeping peacefully. Elsa didn’t want to wake her up, but once awake, there was no way she could fall asleep again, and the faint light coming from the shutters told her it was an appropriate time to get out of bed.

Careful not to wake up Honeymaren, Elsa got out of the bed. Honeymaren grumbled in her sleep and rolled on her stomach, the arm that had previously been around her reaching out.

Elsa went to the bathroom and then padded barefoot to the living room. The curtains were pulled, and Elsa could marvel in the view of Honeymaren’s backyard. 

Winter hadn’t officially started yet and yet, the previous day’s snowstorm had covered the ground white. Elsa felt compelled to take the blanket thrown over the couch and sit on one of the chairs outside, but before she could do that, she heard a door open behind her.

She turned when she didn’t hear any footsteps, and Gale’s furry head appeared in the living-room.

Elsa smiled and crouched down, offering her hand to Gale. “Good morning, Gale, I won’t tell Honeymaren you’ve escaped once again.”

Gale chirped and climbed up to Elsa’s neck. Elsa took the green blanket putting it around her shoulders and Gale, and walked outside, closing the door behind them but not locking it.

She couldn’t say how much time she passed enjoying the morning coldness from a comfortable chair, only that it was enough for Gale to fall asleep again, but then the door slid open to show a sleepy Honeymaren yawning.

“Good morning, sleepy-head,” Elsa said with a soft look.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” She rubbed her eyes and plopped down next to Elsa, who opened the blanket to let her in.

“You looked peaceful; I didn’t want to disturb you. It’s really quiet out here, something impossible to find in the city.”

“It’s also quite cold,” she shivered, skating closer to Elsa. “Why don’t we go inside and have some breakfast? Oh, hi, Gale.”

The ferret nibbled Honeymaren’s ear.

“Let’s go, yeah, I’m getting a little stiff.”

They got up and went inside, Honeymaren shivering in pleasure at the house’s warmth. Honeymaren prepared coffee for the both of them, taking out the homemade cake Yelana had baked as a side dish.

“Hey,” Elsa said, munching one slice, “do you have plans for next Saturday?”

Honeymaren thought it over while sipping her coffee. “Isn’t that the winter party? Oh, no, that’s the next one. The twenty-first?” Elsa nodded. “I’m in charge of the preparations for the Winter Solstice before the celebration. Why?” 

Elsa swallowed and hoped the disappointment didn’t show on her face or voice. “Oh, Anna is throwing this silly party that night, nothing special. What’s the Winter Solstice?” She asked, changing subjects. 

“In Northuldra we don’t exactly celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the changing of the seasons. So, on the night of the solstice, we get together, dance, light some fires… The usual.”

“Wow, that sounds very interesting.” For that, Elsa didn’t need to fake interest.

“We also celebrate summer’s, you can come to that one, if you want.”

“I would very much like that, yes.”

Honeymaren smiled, pleased, and Elsa returned the smile from above her mug. It did mean they were thinking months ahead, but neither Elsa nor Honeymaren felt put out by that thought.

Morning led to noon, and Elsa stayed for lunch while they waited for the tendrils of sun to melt the last of ice on the roads. They said their goodbyes next to Elsa’s car, as Honeymaren was bringing the two animals to Ryder’s shelter. The kiss they shared had Elsa smiling while she drove back to the city, dialing her sister from the car’s speakers.

“Are you doing the walk of shame, or rather, the drive?” Anna said instead of a normal greeting. Elsa had made the mistake of texting Anna that she wasn’t going to be able to go to her house for breakfast.

“I don’t feel the least bit ashamed, so no. And no, we did not sleep together,” she hurried to explain before Anna got too overexcited. “Not in the dirty way you’re thinking, which, I hope you are not, but we did share the bed. To _sleep_ ,” Elsa emphasised.

That didn’t deter the small excited sound Anna let out. “I’m so happy for you! You have to come and tell me everything!”

Elsa chuckled. “Let me at least go home and change first.”

“Oh my god, this is amazing!”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal. Oh, wait, did you invite her to your birthday party? She can bring her brother too, I know I said that before.”

Elsa made a face. “She can’t come, she celebrates winter solstice and they fall on the same day.”

“But you did tell her it was your birthday, right?”

“I told her you were throwing a party,” Elsa replied, giving a vague answer. 

“Elsa…” Anna started.

“That day is important for them, okay? I didn’t want to push her to come, not when what we have is so new.” Elsa could hear her sister sigh. “I have to go now, I have to pay attention to the road, but we’ll talk when I get there, alright?”

“Yeah, sure, love you! Be careful!”

“Love you too!”

Anna looked down at her phone, a sad frown on her face after the conversation with her sister. 

“You self-sacrificing idiot.” She told the phone, although she was referring to her sister.

That would not do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Regular updates'? More like 'yogurt-tart pancakes'


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope you didn't forget about the dog... 😢

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to my wonderful beta-reader [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) for being ever so patient with me.
> 
> I'm proud of this one and I hope you have as much fun reading as I did writing it ^^
> 
> Check out this amazing drawing by [@stormravenart](https://www.instagram.com/stormravenart/) that she did for this fic [here!!!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CGIpkBgpzT4/) (Beware some +18 drawings)

It was Friday and Honeymaren was determined.

“Look, Ryder, I know what I told you, but I’ve changed my mind.”

Honeymaren barged confidently through Ryder’s office door, and her brother dropped the pen he was holding between his upper lip and nose.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he blinked hoping his sister hadn’t noticed.

Honeymaren sighed and slumped in one of the chairs. She rubbed her forehead and then sat properly.

“I know what I said about not wanting to adopt the elkhound, but I want to.”

“You want to…?” Ryder beckoned.

His sister narrowed her eyes at him. “I want to adopt the dog. I know I shouldn’t have gotten attached to her, but I have. These past few days I’ve been thinking, and I’ve seen all these families come and go, some of them adopting dogs from her litter, and when I imagine her gone… It tugs painfully at my heart. So, I’m here. I want to adopt her.”

Honeymaren had been looking at her hands during her speech, and after finishing, she raised her eyes to Ryder with a determined look. But her determination dwindled, and she blinked rapidly and confused at the wince her brother sported.

“What?” She demanded.

“Your elkhound… Or rather, the elkhound you were training… Maren, she’s been adopted already.”

Honeymaren could feel her heart breaking, and all the air escaped her lungs in a choked gasp. “What?” She managed to say in a strained voice.

Ryder put the pen in the holder and reclined on his seat, a sad expression on his face. “I just… Spirits, I’m so sorry, if I had known you wanted her… I can’t even say it’s been a few days, the family adopted your- that dog just this morning.”

Honeymaren’s shoulders dropped in defeat. Just this morning. She had been thinking about it for too long before making a decision. If only she had left her home earlier when the idea came to her mind… But she had waited too long.

She swallowed painfully. “The owners… Are they… Will they be good to her?” She wouldn’t cry in front of her brother, no, but the unshed tears burned in her eyes 

Ryder nodded, looking at her with pity. “I personally saw to it. Can’t say I know the family too well, but if you’d seen the way they looked at her, you would’ve understood. Honeymaren, I’m so sorry, if I had known you had changed your mind, I would have stopped it.”

Honeymaren took a deep breath while nodding. “No, no… This is on me. You have been bugging me for months… If I had been braver then…”

Ryder offered his hand, palm up on the table. “Hey, maybe I can get their contact, you know, set some dates for you to meet her still?”

Honeymaren managed half a smile at her brother’s big heart. She put her hand on his. “Thank you, but no. The thought of having been just a couple of hours too late hurts too much, I don’t think I could stand to watch her be happy with her new family. But as long as she’s happy, I’ll be alright, Ryder.”

She squeezed her brother’s hand and then got up.

“You know I’m always here for you, right?” He told her.

“I know. I’m just gonna go get Gale, stroll around the compound, clear my mind.”

Ryder laughed through his nose. “Are you thinking of adopting Gale too?”

She laughed. “No, I don’t think so.” Then she sobered and hesitated. “Although… if anyone is interested in adopting her…”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but she didn’t have to because her brother understood. He nodded.

“I’ll let you know.”

Honeymaren managed a smile and left her brother to his own devices.

***

Elsa stood in front of the automatic doors, unmoving. Her heart was beating fast in her chest, but she didn’t know why. It wasn’t like she hadn’t planned the situation she was in. She looked down.

“So… What am I supposed to buy for you?”

The elkhound tilted her head at Elsa.

“I know, I know, Ryder has given me a list with all the necessities. I guess I’ll buy that, but do you want anything in particular? Toys? Treats?”

Elur shook her tail vigorously at the last word, and Elsa chuckled, beckoning the dog forward.

“Welcome!” The man that greeted her had a name-tag that read ‘Mikko’. “Is there anything I can help you with today?”

“Hello, yes. I come from the Northuldra shelter. Ryder suggested I came here to buy what I need for this one?” She raised the leash.

The man smiled. “Yes, we know Ryder, he usually sends new owners our way. Do you need help buying anything?”

“He gave me a list.”

Mikko chuckled. “Then I’ll leave you to it. I’m always at the front if you need anything, I’m happy to help.”

Elsa returned the man’s smile and took a cart.

“First things first, I think it’s better if we get Ryder’s items off the list before I let you pick what you want.”

The pet shop was bigger than she had thought, having not only things for dogs and cats, the usual house pets, but also for birds, snakes, and rodents. It was owned by Northuldrans, but it stood in between the Northuldran territory and the big city.

Elur followed happily behind Elsa, taking the sights in. Elsa internally thanked Honeymaren for all the training she had done with her because her dog was very well behaved in an environment that would usually over-excite dogs. Elur was, obviously, waving her tail in a non-stop motion, sniffing around the corners, but as soon as Elsa called her, she followed without a fuss.

Elsa meticulously selected the water and food bowls, taking only the best. She made sure the food she bought was exactly the one Ryder had written down for her because she didn’t want the elkhound to get sick by switching her food for something different. A brush, nail clippers, a metal crate, a dog bed, poop bags, some treats, and a first aid kit, all those items went into the shopping cart chosen by herself.

After that, she let Elur really explore the shop, following behind her and putting anything she touched with her nose into the cart. That brought in more treats, a lot of different toys, another leash, another type of poop bags, a green collar, and a dog shirt. The only thing she refused to buy was the unnecessary cat tower Elur spent too much time sniffing and pushing with her nose. Elur also touched a second dog bed, which Elsa did buy in case she needed Anna to take care of her for a night or two. 

But Elsa also added things she thought were cute or funny, like a LED necklace, which would be useful for when they went on a walk after the sun had set, or a roller pin to get the dog hairs out of the couches. She had asked Ryder to take care of Elur’s ID tags, and she would be picking them up a couple of days later, so that was another thing off her list.

She went to pay for the things and had to hide a smile at Mikko's bulging eyes when he saw her cart.

Fortunately, she had the foresight to take a bigger car than her usual Audi, so, with a little bit of help from Mikko and some Tetris skills, they managed to put everything in Elsa’s car. She tipped the man heftily for his help, and Elsa and Elur, safe on the backseat tied with her new dog seat belt, drove back home.

***

Honeymaren had decided to go back to her shop that afternoon and not leave everything in Matti’s hands. They were very capable, but they were new to the shop, and although Honeymaren was fine with leaving them to open the shop from time to time, she knew Matti would be more than relieved to have her there.

But she was still feeling sad about missing the adoption of the elkhound, so in the heat of the moment, she decided to call Elsa. She wasn’t that sure the other woman would pick up because she was working, but after the second ring, Elsa’s voice sounded from her car’s speakers.

“Hey there!” Elsa answered happily.

“Hey, Elsa. Did I catch you at the wrong time?” She could hear some rustling on the other side.

“Oh? No, no, not at all. Just… Trying to carry some purchases home. Oh, thanks, Marshmallow.” She could hear Elsa smile.

“You’re not at work?”

“I took the day off, I had to do… something.”

“I see. Could we meet this afternoon after I close up?”

“Sure! We can go for a walk. Is everything okay?” She asked, concerned.

Honeymaren heard the sound of a door opening from her speakers.

“It’s complicated. It’s nothing about us, we’re good.” Honeymaren rushed to explain in case that’s what Elsa thought hearing her dejected voice.

She heard a nervous chuckle. “I’m glad, I don’t have enough time to find another date if you bailed on me.”

“I’d never do that,” Honeymaren smiled. “I went to do something today, but I was too late. I’d rather wait and talk in person, if that’s okay.”

“That’s more than okay. Oh! Don’t do that, don’t take that.”

Elsa was clearly not directing those last words to her, so she must’ve been talking to Marshmallow, but Honeymaren wondered why Elsa was talking to him as if he were a child. Honeymaren could also tell she didn’t have all of Elsa’s attention, so she decided to let the other woman go.

“I’m driving right now, so I’ll see you later? I’ll text when I’m closing up.”

“Perfect, bye!”

Honeymaren let Matti leave early and then got lost on flower orders and floral arrangements just so she could get her mind off the elkhound. Arendelle’s party was in a week and they had to order some extra flowers, but the vases and lace they were going to use looked perfect. She had been given a hefty paycheck, and she intended to make the best impression she could.

Time went faster than she expected, and she closed for the day, sending Elsa a message that read she would be at her building’s entrance in a few minutes. Elsa answered almost instantly, telling her she would wait for her there. But Honeymaren was the first to arrive, and she waved at Marshmallow from the outside; the doorman narrowed his eyes at her, but nodded in return, although he made no move to let her in.

Honeymaren didn’t have to wait for long; a few seconds after that, she saw Elsa come down from the stairs and her heart stopped for a second.

She couldn’t help it; tears came to her eyes when she saw her elkhound-  _ the _ elkhound walking with Elsa to the door. Her tongue was lolling, and she looked very happy, and a look to her owner revealed that Elsa felt the same.

“Honeymaren, hi!” Elsa said with a smile.

Honeymaren smiled in return and then stepped forward to kiss Elsa deeply, leaving the other woman blushing when they pulled apart.

“What was that for?” Elsa asked, licking her lips.

Honeymaren shook her head with a chuckle. “Nothing, I just felt like doing it.” She crouched down to greet the dog and was rewarded with more kisses and a playful bark. “So, you ended up adopting her, huh?” Honeymaren said kissing the top of the elkhound’s head.

“I did, just this morning; that’s why I didn’t go to work.”

“I knew you would cave in,” Honeymaren smirked standing up from her crouched position. 

“As if I could resist her,” she patted the elkhound’s head. “I don’t know how you could.”

Honeymaren chuckled. “Turns out, I didn’t. I tried to get her this morning too; someone was just faster than me.” She looked meaningfully at Elsa and winked at her.

“Oh,” Elsa blinked, biting her lip. “I asked Ryder if you were interested, but he waved off my concerns.”

“Well, I did tell him on repeated occasions that I didn’t want to adopt her, so that’s on me.” Then a thought came to her mind. “Wait, he was there when you adopted her?”

“Yeah, he took care of the paperwork and gave me a list of things to buy. Why?”

She narrowed her eyes, thinking of ways to make his brother’s life difficult for a couple of days. They all involved Gale.

“He told me he didn’t know the family that adopted her. But he also told me if I saw the way the owners looked at her I would understand, and I do. You look cute together. What’s her name?”

Elsa gave Honeymaren a kiss on the cheek and they started walking. “Elur. But it can be shortened to Lur.”

“Elur, huh? Fitting.”

Elur had a blue vest instead of a collar and was enjoying her usual path to the dog park. She was very enthusiastic, somehow having understood that the blonde woman who had come for her this morning was now her forever home and that she would also get to see her previous trainer on a usual basis. She was torn between running ahead and staying by her owner’s side; the pats she received every time were enough incentive not to run too far ahead.

They passed by the park, not stopping to play, but hours later, as the clouds darkened with the impending snow, Honeymaren and Elsa thought it was better to cut their walk short and go back to their respective homes before the roads got too bad, in Honeymaren’s case.

****

“Happy birthday!”

Elsa smiled at the yelling from inside the bar when she opened the door. Anna was at the front, her voice the loudest, and she broke free from the group to wrap Elsa in a bone-crushing hug.

“Happy birthday, sis.”

“Thank you so much,” Elsa replied.

Anna let her go, taking Elur’s leash with her, and Elsa found herself in the embrace of Kristoff, who gave her a quick hug and expressed the same sentiment. Then, she was passed from person to person as if she were a ball, thanking them for being there, and receiving quick hugs from those she knew better.

Valley Bar was owned by Kristoff’s family and operated by his parents. It was closed down for the day to throw a private celebration for Elsa. Elsa and Anna didn’t have any other living relatives, but after Anna and Kristoff had started dating, the Valley family had adopted them into their own, so it meant that almost the whole lot of them were present, from Kristoff’s little cousins to his uncles and aunts.

There were also some people from work; Kai and Gerda had been close friends to Elsa and Anna’s parents, and they had been a rock to lean on when their parents died; she smiled at them when she spotted them through the crowd, giving them a short hug.

“Elsa, dear! Happy birthday!” Kristoff’s adoptive mother, Bulda, hugged her with intensity, kissing both her cheeks. “Have you been eating well? Oh, my word, look at you! You are beautiful!” Elsa was hugged again.

“Thank you, Bulda.” Elsa said sheepishly.

Bulda held her from her upper arms, looking up and down at her with motherly eyes. “Now, now, it’s not every day you turn twenty-five, and you are becoming a marvellous young woman. Your parents would be so proud of you.”

Elsa couldn’t help but smile with watery eyes at Bulda’s admission. The whole Valley clan had given Anna and her so much of the parental love they had been missing, and she loved Bulda for giving her what she thought she would never have again.

“Oh, dear, don’t cry, we’re supposed to be celebrating! Let’s go get you something to drink and eat.”

Bulda led Elsa to the bar and they ordered their drinks; Elsa opted for a glass of white wine to start the evening with, and Bulda went for a cocktail. One of Kristoff’s cousins prepared their drinks and they thanked him before moving to the side.

The music was blasting through the speakers, a mix of songs people asked for and those sung by people who wanted to take part in karaoke.

“So, tell me, dear,” Bulda continued. “Anyone caught your fancy? ‘Cause hun, I don’t believe no one is after you.”

Elsa blushed, chuckling and tucking her hair behind her ear.

“There might be someone, yes.”

“Oh, my word! I’m really happy for you!” Bulda took Elsa’s free hand in hers and squeezed. “Who is she? When are we going to meet her? Is she coming here today?”

Elsa laughed. “Her name is Honeymaren, and she’s from Northuldra. She was tied up today, so no, she’s not coming.”

“I know where that village is! Grandpabbie used to tell fables about their spirits. I’m sorry she couldn’t be here today, but you have to bring her around soon! We’ll buy her a drink.”

Elsa chuckled awkwardly. The whole Valley family was very welcoming but very meddling; she remembered the stories Anna told her when Kristoff first took her there for a drink, and at that time they hadn’t even been dating.

Elsa should have to prepare Honeymaren before introducing her.

“Elsa! There you are,” Anna made her way through the crowd to where Elsa and Bulda were sitting. “Elur is with Sven, Olaf, and the children.”

“Thank you, Anna.” Elsa looked over to the back of the bar and indeed, there were five children playing some sort of game with the dogs.

Bulda slid to Anna’s side and glanced at Elsa with a smirk. “Anna! You didn’t tell me Elsa here had a woman!”

Anna shot a surprised look at Elsa and she shrugged. She didn’t want to keep it a secret.

“Oh, yeah, and she’s very smitten with her. They’re so cute with each other it’s nauseating,” Anna teased, directing a wink to her sister, making Elsa blush and grin.

“Now I  _ have _ to meet the woman that makes you smile like that, Elsa.”

Elsa looked down at her drink unable to hide a dopey smile this time.

“Bulda?” Anna spoke. “Could I borrow you for a second? Elsa can go mingle with her guests.”

“Sure thing, dear.”

Both sisters knew Elsa wouldn’t be mingling for a while until her social batteries recharged a little. Bulda squeezed Elsa’s upper arm and Anna gave her a kiss on the cheek before the two disappeared. Elsa sighed and looked at her phone, smiling at the kissing emoji Honeymaren had sent her during their last conversation, wondering if they could meet up on Monday, as Honeymaren had said she had taken the day off.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and schooled her expression to thank the person for coming, but when she turned around and saw Honeymaren smiling at her, the circuits in her brain stopped working and she stood there, looking in surprise at her girlfriend.

“Happy birthday, Elsa.”

Those words spurred the gears in her brain and Elsa threw herself at Honeymaren’s arms, hugging her tightly, not believing what she was seeing.

“What… how-?” She didn’t have the words.

“Thank your sister,” Honeymaren answered looking over her shoulder. “She’s the one who told me.”

Elsa looked over Honeymaren’s shoulder to see her sister raise her drink at her in a toast, with Bulda by her side smiling proudly.

“But I thought you had that thing today?” Her hold on her girlfriend was strong, her eyes still not believing the image in front of her.

“I do, but not until later. My job is to organise where everything has to go, but that can also be done by someone else. I wanted to be here for you now.”

Emotions shone in Elsa’s eyes, but she didn’t have the words to express how much that meant to her, so she did the only thing she could. She cupped Honeymaren’s jaw with one hand while she moved forward to kiss her in front of everyone, but she didn’t care.

The kiss was chaste and short, enough for Elsa to convey her feelings, and Honeymaren rested her forehead on Elsa’s.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Elsa said. She had her arms around Honeymaren’s neck in a loose hold. “I was afraid of you saying ‘no’, so I guess by not asking, I could avoid hearing it.”

“It’s okay, I understand.” The affection in her eyes told Elsa she was forgiven. “I just traded organising for having to do a last-minute shopping trip, which gave me the opportunity to see you. Oh, I also had to bring Ryder with me, I hope that’s okay?”

Elsa took her eyes off of Honeymaren’s to look at where Ryder was, and she saw him talking to Anna and Kristoff. She smiled.

“That’s alright.”

Honeymaren took a step back, not separating completely from Elsa, but enough that Elsa’s hands fell from her shoulders to her hands.

“Look,” Honeymaren said. “This was kinda last minute, so I didn’t bring you any presents, but could I take you out for lunch on Monday to make it up to you?”

“You didn’t have to bring anything… but yes, I gladly accept.” She pouted. “But can that be  _ my _ present? Instead of you taking me out, could  _ I _ take  _ you _ out? With the horses, the fair, and you cooking for me, I feel like I’ve done nothing for you.”

“You keeping score?” She smirked.

“No! Well… It’s just that… I don’t want you to feel like this is one-sided, okay? I want to do things for you too. “

Honeymaren smiled softly. “Alright, I’ll go out with you. And I’ve never felt like I’m the one doing everything in this relationship. I had to do some grovelling for being an idiot, but never question that I know your commitment to our relationship is the same as mine, okay?”

Elsa released a breath she didn’t know she had been holding, and with it went some of her fears. She smiled. “Okay.”

“And for important things like this, like your birthday, please don’t be afraid to ask me anything. I know we haven’t been together for long but… I want to do everything in my power to be there for you, even if it’s for a little while.”

Elsa nodded, eyes shining, and let her head fall against Honeymaren’s shoulder while the other woman’s arms went around her waist. It couldn’t be… It was too soon for those three little words, but the things Honeymaren said had her heart racing, and if she spent one second longer looking into those honey-coloured eyes, she’d do something crazy, like blurt out how she really felt.

But Elsa was saved by the bell.

“Hey, so, I really don’t want to interrupt ‘cause you both look very cute, but I wanted to give Elsa her present,” Ryder spoke.

Honeymaren grumbled, but they pulled apart, with Honeymaren maintaining a hand on Elsa’s hip when they both turned to face Honeymaren’s brother, Elsa’s back pressed to Honeymaren’s front.

“You didn’t have to get me anything, Ryder,” Elsa said.

“Heh, I know that, but still. Happy birthday.” He gave her a little box.

Elsa looked at it, paused, cocked an eyebrow, and smirked. “Are you proposing to me?”

Ryder blinked, stunned. “Wh- what?”

Elsa raised the box, and even though it was a simple-looking box, not velvety or anything, it did look like one of those boxes where people put rings in.

“No! It’s not- I didn’t-” he stammered, blushing. “Just open the box, will you?”

Elsa and Honeymaren laughed at his reaction, and Elsa opened the box to reveal two metal tags, bone-shaped, with Elur’s name engraved and Elsa’s contact information in the back.

“I didn’t know they were ready already! Thank you so much!” Elsa leaned forward and gave him a quick hug. “I should find Lur to put one on her, but I think she’s playing with the kids,” she tiptoed, looking around, but the dogs and kids were nowhere in sight.

“How is she behaving around people?” Honeymaren asked.

“I watch out for her body language in case she doesn’t like them, like you taught me, but so far she’s enthusiastically meeting strangers, unlike me. But she doesn’t wander off.”

“I’m glad her training is paying off.”

“You taught her well,” Elsa kissed her cheek.

“Elsa!” Anna appeared out of nowhere. She was almost vibrating on the spot, and that told Elsa what was to come. “It’s time!” She said, ecstatic.

“Oh, no,” Elsa said to herself.

The Northuldran siblings looked at each other, not understanding.

“To sing ‘Happy Birthday’?” Asked Honeymaren.

Anna beamed at Honeymaren. “Much better than that!”

“Do we have to?” Asked Elsa.

“Yes!! Don’t be embarrassed because Maren’s here, she’s gonna love it!”

“Enjoy what?” The subject of Anna’s last statement said.

“You’ll see! Elsa, two minutes,” she warned and then left the three of them.

“What’s going on?” Honeymaren asked, curious. Elsa’s body was relaxed against hers after tensing up for a second when Anna announced her cryptic message, so Honeymaren wasn’t really concerned about this thing.

Elsa sighed. “It’s a dumb thing Anna, Kristoff, and I do any time we celebrate one of our birthdays, some sort of a tradition, if you will. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She kissed Honeymaren’s cheek in lieu of goodbye and disappeared too, leaving the siblings surrounded by people they didn’t know.

“So… Everything good with Elsa, yes?” Ryder asked.

“Never better,” she answered honestly.

“And you have no idea what this is?”

“Absolutely none.”

But they didn’t have to wait long to discover what it was because the lights of the establishment dimmed and the beams focused on the makeshift stage near the DJ, where the karaoke was set. 

And on the stage, there were three people: Elsa in the middle, flanked on the right by Kristoff, and Anna on her left. They were pointing at something with their left hand raised and a microphone on the right, staring fiercely at that invisible spot.

Some people cheered and others clapped, but suddenly there was only silence, and that’s when the three people standing on the stage started to sing:

_Super trouper lights are gonna find me  
But I won’t feel blue  
Like I always d  
‘Cause somewhere in the crowd there’s you _

At that last line, Elsa’s eyes found Honeymaren’s, and she smiled shyly.

Then the music started, and from that moment, Honeymaren couldn’t help but watch enraptured her girlfriend sing. She remembered the song from that film Ryder forced her to watch, and she understood Elsa was singing the main part with Kristoff and Anna singing the chorus, the three of them doing this silly choreography that told Honeymaren this was not a spur-of-the-moment performance, this was something rehearsed.

At one point, Ryder turned to her. “She has an incredible voice, she magically befriends animals, and she definitely has the money and looks for it. Are you  _ sure _ Elsa is not a Disney princess?”

Honeymaren elbowed her brother but didn’t take her eyes off Elsa, who was having a lot of fun singing and dancing with her family, sharing smiles and missing lines because she was laughing too much.

_ ‘Cause somewhere in the crowd there’s you _

Elsa ended the song pointing at her, and when the beams went off everyone clapped and cheered and whistled loudly, Honeymaren the loudest, and then the lights returned to their previous state, Elsa, Kristoff, and Anna bowed to the public, getting off the stage. The three of them walked to Ryder and Honeymaren, accepting the congratulations on the show from the people they encountered.

Elsa’s face was flushed from the show, but her eyes were beaming and her smile was wide and contagious when they got near the siblings.

“So, did you like it?” Elsa asked Honeymaren.

Honeymaren couldn’t form words, she was speechless and in awe at Elsa’s talent, so she did the next best thing she could.

She grabbed Elsa’s hand, pushing both of them flush and she kissed Elsa. It was probably not the chastest of kisses to be had in front of an audience, and it was not short by any means, only pulling apart when the sounds of cheers and whistles made their way through their clouded minds.

“Sorry I- uh,” Honeymaren laughed through her nose. “I couldn’t help myself.”

Elsa licked her lips and smirked, not caring about the display they had just made. “I’m not complaining.”

“I am!” Anna and Ryder spoke at the same time.

When Elsa and Honeymaren turned to them, they could see their respective siblings with their hands on their eyes and Kristoff behind them, who gave the two girls a thumbs up and a toothy grin.

Elsa chuckled. “Sorry, Anna, we’re done now.” She leaned against Honeymaren, lacing her fingers with Honeymaren’s on the hand she had against her hip.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m happy for you, but there are things a little sister shouldn’t see,” she fake-shivered.

“Elsa, dear!” Bulda’s voice came from behind Anna. “Is this your girl?”

She made her way through her son’s side and paused in front of Elsa to push her lightly to the side to grab Honeymaren’s hands.

“Oh my god, she  _ is _ beautiful! Olun! Come and see Elsa’s girlfriend!” She called behind her, looping her arm with Honeymaren’s.

A man appeared from behind Ryder to stand next to Bulda.

“Honeymaren, was it? A pleasure to meet you.” He offered his hand and she shook it.

“Likewise.”

“Is this Elsa’s girlfriend?” A small voice said behind Honeymaren.

“She is, Emily,” answered Bulda.

“She’s so pretty!”

“Yeah,” said another new voice. “But she’s not prettier than my girlfriend.” This was a young woman, with her arm around a girl who smiled shyly.

“But she’s prettier than you,” behind that young woman appeared a young man, his features so similar to the young woman he slapped that they had to be twins.

“Farid, don’t be rude to your sister.” An older man appeared next to him and he offered his hand to Honeymaren. “Name’s Richard, I’m their father,” he pointed at the two bickering siblings.

Honeymaren also shook his hand but she was beginning to lose count of who was who and who was related to whom. They started to speak over each other, and people were still introducing themselves to Honeymaren, but she was too polite to excuse herself from the woman who had a loose hold of her arm. Her face must have shown some of the panic she was feeling because, thankfully, Elsa stepped in.

“Bulda? I’m gonna steal my girlfriend now before she has to leave. 

“You’re not staying until the end? Well, dear, you have to be back soon! We loved having you here.”

“Not as much as Elsa has, I’m sure.”

“Farid! What did we say about boundaries?”

Honeymaren smiled. “It was a pleasure meeting all of you.”

And then Elsa dragged her to the bar where they ordered drinks and they found a secluded spot where they could speak with some privacy.

“Wow, your family sure is… intense,” confessed Honeymaren.

Their chairs were side by side, with Elur, who had found them not too long after they had sat down, sleeping by their feet.

Elsa snorted. “That? That was tame. As Anna told me, Kristoff brought her here when they were still friends and everyone pretty much assumed they were together. They even suggested Anna and him could get married the following week because one of Kristoff’s uncles is a priest. Never mind Anna was engaged at that time to another man.”

Honeymaren almost spluttered the water she had been drinking. She coughed to get the water out of her lungs. “Anna was  _ what _ ?!”

“I know, I know. That was not a good month.”

There was something in Elsa’s voice that made Honeymaren not push the topic further, so she changed it. “And to answer your previous question; your performance was amazing, I didn’t know you could sing like that.”

Elsa smiled. “Compulsory music lessons as a kid. I did end up enjoying them, but my parents forced us to go first. What about you, do you sing?”

“I can hit the notes, but I don’t have any formal training. I’m used to singing songs from musicals Ryder makes me watch.”

As a matter of fact, the man in question was up on stage with Kristoff, singing a duet complete with its own choreography. It made the two women laugh.

“You’ll have to sing for me then,” Elsa suggested slyly.

“Only if you sing with me.”

They continued talking about their day and their plans for the following week until Honeymaren’s phone alarm went off.

“I have to go now,” Honeymaren said reluctantly.

Elsa walked Honeymaren and Ryder to the door, waiting with Honeymaren while Ryder fetched their car. 

“Have a safe trip, and please send me a text when you get there? The road can be dangerous.”

Honeymaren could see Elsa was nervous, so she gave her a reassuring smile. “I will, I’ll send you a silly selfie, would you like that?”

Elsa smiled. “I would.” 

They kissed goodbye and Elsa watched from the bar’s door how Honeymaren got into her brother's car. She waved them goodbye and re-entered the bar, knowing the onslaught of questions that were to come from Kristo-  _ her _ family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sooo original with names, I know, so if you didn't search it before, Elur basically means Snow, and Lur means Earth  
> And for those who guessed that the elkhound was the Earth Spirit you get a virtual high-five!
> 
> Next up: Arendelle's Winter Party


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AKA the one where I forgot who was taller so don't come at me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you thought I was dead! Correct! This is my ghost updating the story so it counts as a Halloween story, right?
> 
> Thank you to my beta-reader [3SpidersWithAPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3SpidersWithAPen/pseuds/3SpidersWithAPen) for being patient with me  
> (21st of October... it was supposed to mean something... but what?)
> 
> **CONTENT WARNING:**  
>  -Mentions of a panic attack  
> -Mentions of past homophobia  
> Nothing explicit, but better safe than sorry
> 
> Check out this amazing drawing by [@stormravenart](https://www.instagram.com/stormravenart/) that she did for this fic [here!!!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CGIpkBgpzT4/) (Beware some +18 drawings)

“Elur, please, don’t, that’s mommy’s.”

Elsa pried the missing shoe of a pair of heels from Elur’s mouth. She inspected it, and with the exception of a droplet of drool, it was fine. Luckily, it was not the pair she was going to wear that evening, but she couldn’t let the dog chew on her shoes. Besides, Lur had her own chewing toys, no need to make another one out of Elsa’s wardrobe.

Elur whinnied, eyes downcast, and Elsa crouched to pet her dog and give her a kiss on the forehead.

“It’s okay, I’m not mad, but mommy’s shoes are not toys.”

Elsa got a kiss and smiled, getting up and leaving Elur on her bed in the living room.

She looked at the time; she was going to cut it close. She had agreed to meet Honeymaren downstairs to drive together to Elsa’s party, and she hadn’t showered yet. She had time, of course, but as her father always said: if you are early to a meeting, you are on time; if you are on time, you are late. And Elsa was on time with her schedule.

She showered quickly, dried her hair, and straightened it out. She did her usual braid, putting more effort than on regular days, and tied it up on a chignon, straightening up the fringe with her fingers. She paused for a moment to see what Elur was doing, but she was where Elsa had left her, chewing on a toy that had a treat on the inside, too preoccupied figuring out how to get the treat to steal more of Elsa’s shoes. She smiled and went back to the bathroom to finish her makeup, nothing too flashy, she was using dark colours, which she knew would go well with her dress.

And next went her dress, midnight-blue in colour with a sleeveless design that left her shoulders bare, ending around her knees. It clung to her waist but flared around the bottom, with draped details and an invisible zipper on the backside.

She checked her phone and found a text dated two minutes ago alerting her that Honeymaren had just parked. She shot her girlfriend a text telling her she’d be down in about three minutes, and before putting on her shoes, she checked that Elur had everything she needed to be left alone for a couple of hours. She put the phone and her wallet on her purse, kissing Elur goodbye one last time, and walked barefoot to the entrance, where she put on the white stilettos before taking the long black coat from the hanger and putting it on.

“See you later, Lur, please, don’t eat any of my shoes!”

She received a huffed bark and Elsa chuckled, locking the door behind her and waiting for the lift. She’d usually take the stairs, but this was a special occasion and she didn’t want to risk tripping over the steps.

When the doors opened on the ground floor, Elsa had to pause for a moment to take in the view that awaited her.

Marshmallow had apparently let Honeymaren in so she could wait in the lobby, and the two of them were in a somewhat civil conversation. But Elsa wasn’t paying attention to that.

Honeymaren was wearing a dark purple gown that showed off her toned arms with a sash leaning towards dark blue attached to her waist. The dress had a V-neck cut on the front and back, with the bottom of the skirt cut shorter on the front and with its back flowing almost to her shins. She completed the look with black high heels, and instead of in a braid braid, her brown hair was loose, her curls held by purple lace, tight enough for her hair not to fall on her face.

She had been so distracted by her girlfriend’s vision she didn’t hear her name being called, only realising something was going on when Honeymaren turned to face her. Her movement brought Elsa back from her thoughts, but Honeymaren must have had the same reaction Elsa had previously had seconds ago, because her eyes widened when Elsa made her way to where Marshmallow and she were standing.

“Miss Rindell, good evening,” Marshmallow was the first to acknowledge her. “You look beautiful, as always.”

His words snapped Honeymaren from whatever trance she had been in, and her cheeks tinted with a lovely pink colour.

“Yes,” she managed to say after clearing her throat. “You look absolutely stunning, Elsa.”

Elsa smiled, blushing slightly. “You look utterly fantastic as well.”

They looked at each other, barely managing to keep themselves from grinning like fools.

“Have a nice night, ladies,” Marshmallow bid them.

He went to his office and Honeymaren offered her elbow to Elsa, who readily took it. Even though Elsa’s heels were taller than Honeymaren’s, it only put Elsa at her height, not over it, so she still had to look a little upwards.

“Ready, M’Lady?” Honeymaren tipped an invisible hat.

Elsa chuckled. “But of course.”

They had agreed Honeymaren would drive them to the place and leave the car at the building’s garage, a perk not all guests had. Elsa got into the front passenger’s seat, curiously watching as Honeymaren twisted around in her seat to take a cardboard box from the backseat.

“What’s that?” She asked. 

As an answer, Honeymaren opened the box and took a pair of running shoes from it.

Honeymaren snorted. “You didn’t think I was going to drive in these, right?” She said, taking off her heels and replacing them with the sneakers.

“Oh, I hadn’t actually thought about that. I do drive in heels, but I admit my usual ones are not as high as these.”

“I can walk just fine in heels, but driving with them would make me a hazard on the road, so better not to risk it.”

Elsa smiled at her thoughtfulness and they drove to the site in pleasant silence, broken only by the slow jazz music coming from the speakers.

They were the first to arrive, followed closely by the catering and the waiters, who immediately started working on familiarising themselves with the layout. Then came the live band, situating themselves on the designated area and tuning their instruments.

Elsa and Honeymaren enjoyed strolling through the place, Elsa being here for the first time since the flowers had been set up. 

“It’s beautiful,” she told Honeymaren. “You’ve done an amazing job with the place.”

Honeymaren smiled, feeling proud. “Thank you, it means a lot.”

Then Anna and Kristoff arrived; Anna in a deep velvety green dress with lace sleeves, and Kristoff in a darker suit than Anna’s green, his unruly hair somehow in order. Anna had hers in a messy up-do.

“You both look beautiful,” Anna said when she saw them, “and the place is fantastic, congratulations, Maren.”

“Thank you.”

And when the time came, people started arriving and the place started looking lively. The band was playing, and the waiters started making their rounds with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. People were mingling and more were arriving, and through all of that, Honeymaren stuck with Elsa, exchanging pleasantries when people walked up to them and making light conversation. Whenever people asked about the flower arrangements, Elsa deferred to Honeymaren, and she found herself talking about business with some of them and informing them where they could find her.

Others were simply curious about her being at Elsa’s side, and Elsa introduced her to those as her girlfriend, which did happy things in Honeymaren’s stomach. One of those people had just left them when Elsa took a glass from one of the waiters and turned to Honeymaren.

“What was that?” Honeymaren asked with a smirk. She had seen the change in the man who had just talked to them, who had gone from politeness to giddiness after Elsa had confirmed her guest was her girlfriend.

Elsa groaned. “Mrs and Mr Gilmore. They, uh… He’s on the board. He and his wife… let’s just say that before I resigned in favour of Anna, some board members wanted me to date a nice woman.” She blushed before speaking again. “And those two told me on one occasion about their lovely niece, close to my age.”

Honeymaren threw her head back, laughing. “They tried to set you up?”

“They did,” Elsa grumbled. “And now that they see I’m with someone, they’ll hopefully leave that alone.”

“Oh spirits, this is too good,” Honeymaren’s laughter died down but did not leave her. “Do I have to fight someone for your affection? I’m good with a staff.”

“I hope not, although you would probably win. But I don’t want to risk it, I happen to like you quite a bit.”

“Only a bit?”

As an answer, Elsa kissed Honeymaren briefly on the lips.

They enjoyed a little time for themselves before Anna and Kristoff came looking for them; something about Elsa and Anna having to talk to the shareholders about next year’s expectations, and so, Honeymaren was left alone with Kristoff.

“How are you doing?” He asked, sipping his champagne.

“I’m quite good, thank you,” and she was.

“I know it can be a little hard, being surrounded by all… this.” He waved his hand around. “The first time Anna brought me to one of these as her guest I was a mess, it was the first time I was offered food and drinks instead of doing the offering.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I was a waiter during university, it helped me pay the bills, and that’s how I met them. Elsa, that is. I met Anna at university, and she helped me get a job at one of their parties, a nice change from the low paying ones I was taking. Come to think about it, I met Elsa three years ago, at that year’s winter party. I was already friends with Anna by that time, but she and Elsa weren’t on good terms yet.”

“Was it a good party?” She nudged him with a smile.

But she received a grimace in response. “Not really. It was… it was not good. Some arsehole made a scene.”

“What happened?” Asked Honeymaren with concern in her voice.

Kristoff was hesitant to continue. “It’s not my place. I’m sorry, I wish I could tell you more,” he added apologetically.

“It’s okay, I understand.” But she couldn’t help but be curious.

“Come, let’s walk around for a bit. Anna and Elsa will find us when they’re done. Anna just has to sweet talk some people and Elsa has to freeze them with her glare if they get too comfy with Anna.”

That made Honeymaren laugh, and they made their way to the balcony, where some people were smoking or chatting in a more relaxed environment. They stopped to chat with a couple that knew Kristoff, and Honeymaren also made friends with a waiter who had been working alongside Kristoff when he had been a waiter. Kristoff hadn’t worked for the same company Arendelle had hired for the evening exactly, but apparently, everyone knew everyone in that circle.

The sun was setting over the sea when Elsa and Anna finally found them; Kristoff and Honeymaren had been on their way to the other side of the ball, near the band, where they had the prime position for intercepting waiters with food.

“Hey, you two,” Anna said. “Playing nice?”

Kristoff’s posture softened and he shot his girlfriend a smile. “You know me, always getting into trouble.”

“Hey,” Honeymaren told Elsa.

“Hey yourself,” she replied, putting a hand to Honeymaren’s hip and kissing her on the cheek.

“Everything good?” Kristoff asked the sisters.

“Everything went great!” Anna answered, putting her back to Kristoff’s front. He laced their hands at Anna’s stomach. “We had a nice chat with a new possible investor, and Ms Garcia navigated the conversation expertly. Oh, Maren! Before I forget, a couple of people asked about where they could find the decorator, and I told them I would send your business information their way. Is that okay? I don’t have any of your business cards or I would’ve given them one.”

“Oh? Thank you, Anna. And it’s okay, I didn’t bring any. I didn’t think anyone would be actually interested in the decoration.”

Anna shrugged. “These people are always trying to one-up each other, so expect some clients.”

Anna turned to talk to Kristoff in a low voice, and that gave Honeymaren the chance to look at Elsa. She was drinking from her glass, eyes on the ballroom, but she seemed distracted, quiet. Too quiet.

“You alright?” Honeymaren asked Elsa in almost a whisper.

“Huh?” Elsa blinked and looked at her girlfriend. “Oh, yeah, yeah. I’m fine, just a lot in my mind.”

But Honeymaren wasn’t sold. “Are you sure everything went well in that meeting of yours? You were gone for a long time.”

Elsa smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Everything went smoothly. And you know how rich people are, they tend to talk in circles before getting to the point.”

“Only if you’re sure,” Honeymaren gave Elsa a pointed look.

“I am,” she kissed Honeymaren’s cheek again, rubbing her upper arm in a comforting gesture before turning to her sister. “We’re gonna do some mingling before the speeches.”

“Have fun, you two,” Anna replied, but her attention was on Kristoff.

Elsa took Honeymaren’s hand and the two of them walked around the room leisurely, but Honeymaren could feel there was something off about Elsa, something she could not put her finger on. They talked pleasantries with more people who approached them, with Elsa chatting amicably while having a hand on Honeymaren’s hip, but where Elsa’s touch had been firm before, now it was hesitant, shaky.

Honeymaren took them to the balcony, thinking perhaps Elsa was just overwhelmed and needed some time to cool down, but the longer it went, the longer Elsa’s body seemed to tense around everyone, not just Honeymaren, and although she was trying to cover it up, Honeymaren could tell by her body language that Elsa was waiting for something bad to happen.

“Elsa, are you sure you’re okay? Maybe we should find Anna,” Honeymaren suggested. Maybe Elsa didn’t feel ready to confide in her, but she would in her sister.

“No, no, I’m fine,” Elsa tried to reassure her, but the confidence in her voice wavered, and her eyes darted around the floor.

“I have something to talk to Kristoff about, though,” Honeymaren tried another approach. “He told me something when you and Anna weren’t there, about a colleague of his from university. Would you mind accompanying me?”

Elsa smiled, this time more genuinely. “Sure, lead the way.”

Honeymaren took Elsa’s trembling hand and they walked around, finding Kristoff and Anna near the main entrance, giggling with their faces close.

“What’s so funny?” Honeymaren asked, wanting to be in on the joke. Elsa was silent next to her.

Anna was the one who spoke. “We’ve been observing who is fighting over smoked salmon and it’s a close fight between Mr Hammel and Mr Hanner. They’re both close to where the waiters exit, and you can see them turn their eyes to the trays as soon as the waiters step into the ballroom.”

Honeymaren looked at the people Anna was discretely pointing out, and as she had said, as soon as a waitress walked in, the two men’s eyes inspected what she was carrying, a flick of disappointment crossing their features when it wasn’t what they wanted.

Honeymaren, Anna, and Kristoff laughed.

“Excuse me for a second,” Elsa’s voice cut through their laughter, leaving the three of them behind to walk out of the ballroom, her feet carrying her towards the bathrooms.

“Was it because of the salmon?” Kristoff asked doubtfully.

“No, I don’t think it was.” Honeymaren looked at Anna, who had the same concerned expression she had. “I’ll go to her.”

She set off on a brisk pace, as fast as she could without raising any alarms, but she didn’t have to look too far because she found Elsa after rounding the corner, pressed against the wall and breathing heavily and too fast.

“Elsa, shit.” Honeymaren ran up to her.

“I- I am fine. Don’t- worry-”

“Elsa, darling, you’re hyperventilating.” Honeymaren wanted to touch Elsa, but she didn’t know if her touch would be welcomed, so her arms stopped midway.

Elsa was looking at the floor, her palms flush against the wall behind her for support. Honeymaren decided to risk it and took one of those hands to press it against her chest. 

“You’ll be fine, but you have to breathe with me, okay? Match my breathing, Elsa?”

She saw Elsa nod and Honeymaren matched Elsa’s erratic breathing, slowly starting to bring it down to a more regular speed, taking as much time as Elsa needed to follow it, feeling Honeymaren inhale and exhale.

“Elsa!”

Honeymaren heard Anna behind her, but her attention was all on Elsa. Honeymaren carefully tilted Elsa’s head up so she could look into her eyes, which were full of fear. Minutes after she had found Elsa, the blonde woman’s breathing returned to something more normal, and Honeymaren stepped closer to her.

“I don’t- I don’t know what happened,” Elsa tried to explain. “I was-”

There were tears in her eyes and, soon enough, a path down her face followed. Before she could continue talking and probably fall into another panic attack, Honeymaren put her hands on her arms and made Elsa focus on her.

“It’s alright, Elsa, don’t talk, just breathe, I’m here, okay? You’re safe.”

Elsa nodded and took another gulp of air. Honeymaren looked at Anna, who was being held by Kristoff and had a heart-broken look on her face.

“You’re okay, Elsa,” her sister said. “You’re gonna be okay, alright?”

When it looked like Elsa had calmed down further, Kristoff relinquished his hold on Anna, and she approached Elsa as if approaching a wounded animal.

“Elsa? Is it…” She sounded regretful of what she was about to say next. “Is this because of what happened three years ago?”

Elsa didn’t look at her sister, she just crossed her arms and pulled them close to her body, making herself smaller, and she nodded. Honeymaren looked over from Anna to Kristoff, who had a sombre look, and she knew that whatever Anna was referring to, probably was what he hadn’t wanted to talk about earlier.

Suddenly Elsa straightened up, drying her eyes with her fingers and taking a deep breath.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m good. I’m fine. I can do this.”

She tried to walk back to the ballroom but Honeymaren’s arms around her prevented that. Anna also got in the way of her sister, her hands up in a placating manner.

“Elsa, you can’t go out like this,” Anna said. “You should go home, I can manage.”

“No, Anna, I can- I can manage. I need to fix my makeup but I’m fine, I’ll be fine.”

“Elsa…”

“Anna, I can do this.” She emphasised her words with a firm voice.

Before the sisters could argue, Honeymaren got in between them. “Elsa, it looks like you just had a panic attack. You shouldn’t feel like you _have_ to do anything, especially after something like that. Do you trust your sister?” Elsa lowered her head, nodding. “Then trust she has tonight under control. We can go home.” 

Elsa sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat. “You are right. I’m sorry, Anna.”

“It’s okay,” Anna rubbed Elsa’s arm gently. “Just take care of yourself, alright? I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

Elsa nodded and Anna kissed her cheek. Anna looked at Honeymaren, a plea in her eyes, but Honeymaren talked before Anna could.

“I’ll take care of her. I’ll text you when we get home.”

“Thank you.”

Honeymaren gently guided Elsa to where their coats were and put Elsa’s over her shoulders, the girl still too out of it to focus on anything other than following Honeymaren. Honeymaren took them both to the car, gently coaxing Elsa to get into the passenger’s seat, and quickly changing into her sneakers after getting in the driver's seat. Elsa leaned against the cool window and Honeymaren drove her home in silence, her eyes going over to Elsa from time to time to check she was doing okay.

“I don’t want to go home,” Elsa spoke for the first time when they paused at a red light.

Honeymaren looked at her for a second before focusing back on the road as the light turned green. It had started snowing.

“Elsa, I…”

“Please,” she cut Honeymaren. “It doesn’t… it doesn’t feel like home.”

There was silence while Honeymaren thought it over.

“Do you want to come to mine?” She offered.

Elsa looked at her, so fragile, and Honeymaren felt her heart squeeze painfully.

“Please,” she just said.

“Alright, but we have to go to yours first, okay? To pick up anything you need.”

“Just Elur.”

“We will bring her too, but I was referring to comfy things to sleep in, as well as your toiletries. Elur didn’t slip my mind, I promise.”

They arrived at the building, and Honeymaren parked the car in front of the entrance, even though it wasn’t supposed to be parked there, but being that late in the day, she didn’t think it would cause too much trouble. Marshmallow was instantly concerned when he saw Elsa underneath Honeymaren’s arm; the brunette shook her head for him not to ask any questions and requested if he could watch over her car while they picked up Elsa’s dog.

When Honeymaren opened the door, Elur excitedly greeted them, but she quickly picked up on Elsa’s mood, because she whinnied until Elsa sat on the couch and pushed her head on her owner’s lap, between her hands, licking her in an effort to give her some comfort. 

It was the first time Honeymaren was in Elsa's home, but she didn't pause to look around, she made a beeline for Elsa’s bedroom, finding the bag Elsa had carried to their riding date, and putting the pyjamas she found under the pillow inside, while also picking up her toothbrush and other things she thought Elsa might need from the bathroom. She coaxed the girl out of her dress and into some pants and a soft shirt, putting the hoodie with blue snowflakes over it. She checked that Elur’s food was the same one she had at home and then put the dog on her leash, taking the three of them downstairs again.

Marshmallow was at the door, looking out for Honeymaren's car. When he saw them exit the lift, he opened the front door for them, nodding at Honeymaren as a thank you. Honeymaren nodded back and they got in the car, driving to the brunette’s house in silence.

“Make yourself at home, I’m gonna go change but I’ll be right back,” Honeymaren told Elsa when they arrived.

But before leaving to do that, she lit the fireplace and helped Elsa sit on the rug in front of it, with Elur rapidly taking her seat next to her with her head on Elsa's lap. Elsa murmured a thank you and Honeymaren rushed to change into sweatpants and a hoodie, taking some time to make hot chocolate.

“Here.”

She offered a mug to Elsa, leaving hers next to the blonde, and pulled the green blanket off the couch to put it over their shoulders. They sipped their chocolate in silence, watching the fire dance and crackle.

“I guess I should explain what happened earlier,” Elsa said after a while.

“You don’t have to,” replied Honeymaren just as softly.

Elsa was caressing Elur’s head with her free hand, the dog long fast asleep.

“I want to. It’s something that would come up eventually.”

Honeymaren hummed but did not pressure Elsa when the other girl fell into another silence.

“Mother said I was her little snow, born just when winter came. Anna was her little sunflower. It was tough when father and she died, it had been for a while when they were alive too. I joined the company when father was still in charge, when I was sixteen or so, to get a feeling of their work ethic, and to win some pocket money.” She chuckled humourlessly. “It wasn’t good. People were always whispering behind my back, throwing me these glances because they knew I was their boss’ daughter, and I started to demand more from myself, to prove that I was more than ‘the daughter of’ and that I would end up in charge because of my own merits. I didn’t have the healthiest of mind-sets.

“I knew that I had to work harder than anyone else because apart from being a woman, I’ve always known I liked women. And I never made it a secret, but I’ve never flaunted anything from my personal life either. If people asked about a boyfriend, I told them I had no _girlfriend_. I… It happened three years ago, at a winter party. God, that year I was a mess, and the end of the year was even worse. Just the week before that, Anna had told me she was engaged to a man named Hans, who she had met the previous month. I disapproved, I told her she would not get any help or blessings out of me, she yelled back, I shut her out. She ignored my words and took him to the party. Turns out, this _Hans_ was also the youngest son of the man who was in charge of our biggest competitor.

“I realised that at the party, but I didn’t want to make a scene in front of so many people, so I decided to wait until it was over to talk to Anna, to make her see what he was really up to. The evening had been pleasant; people made small talk with me, I gave a speech, I talked to possible investors… The usual. I don’t remember who I was talking to, I think it was one of our board members who knew I was a lesbian, and they were trying to set me up or something. But Hans happened to walk behind us and overheard the conversation.

“He instantly started shouting, about how I was unfit to be in charge of the company, that I was deranged, not normal, a predator.” Elsa took a trembling breath. “His words had so much hate, so much disgust in them that I froze. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak, I could do nothing but stare at him. A man, CEO of Weselton Corp, backed him up quickly. Then Anna came, going to his side. She had only heard the commotion, and, being as we were not on the best of terms, assumed I had done something. I don’t blame her, I never have, but my heart broke at that moment knowing my sister could stand against me. Hans started saying that Anna should be the one to lead Arendelle, that they could do it together because he couldn’t let the company be in the hands of a _lesbian_.

“She was confused for a second, her gaze going from mine to his, and then she understood what he was saying. She probably saw the fear in my eyes, pure dread of what she would do next… But she stopped Hans mid-ramble, demanded to tell her exactly what he meant, and then whacked him square in the face, breaking his nose.

“She started yelling back, I don’t remember exactly what she said, but I do remember her saying that I was her sister and that she loved me, and that he should get out of there before she did something worse. One of the waiters, who later I realised had been Kristoff, had to hold her to prevent her from following him to beat him up again, and security escorted Hans and the man from Weselton Corp away before Anna could get to him. I don’t remember much more.

“For the past two years I’ve been fine, I don’t- I don’t know what happened today. I’m sorry.”

Honeymaren put an arm around Elsa and tucked her close, Elsa’s head falling against Honeymaren’s shoulder.

“You have nothing to apologise for. Trauma has a way of getting back to us; a smell, a sound, a voice… You are not less for that when it happens. Is there someone you can talk to? I can listen to you all you want, but I know it's not the same.”

“I've been going to a psychologist, not exactly for that, but it helped. I should probably call her tomorrow.”

“You should. But, for now, I think we should get you to bed. You need to rest.”

Elsa nodded, and Honeymaren helped her get up. Elur whinnied when she was woken up but instantly fell asleep on the dog bed in the guest room when Honeymaren took her there. The two women changed into their pyjamas and climbed into the bed gravitating towards the centre once they were in. Elsa burrowed her head on Honeymaren’s neck, and the other girl held her tightly against her side. 

Elsa was exhausted emotionally, but she felt safe in Honeymaren’s embrace; closing her eyes, sleep came easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end... 😢
> 
> Get in line behind me if you wanna punch Hans too
> 
> Check out this amazing drawing by [@stormravenart](https://www.instagram.com/stormravenart/) that she did for this fic [here!!!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CGIpkBgpzT4/) (Beware some +18 drawings)


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